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visual neuroscience

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·November 7, 2024·4 min read

How Our Brain Stabilizes Vision Amid Constant Eye Movement

A new study reveals how the brain compensates for rapid eye movements, maintaining a stable visual perception despite dynamic visual input. Researchers found that this stability mechanism breaks down for non-rigid motion like rotating vortices, leading to visual instability.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·October 23, 2024·6 min read

Brain Processes Sentence Structures as Fast as Visual Scenes

The human brain can detect the structure of a short sentence in as little as 150 milliseconds, the speed of a blink. Using brain imaging, scientists found that the brain's language comprehension system processes sentences flashed on a screen similarly to how it perceives a visual scene.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·October 22, 2024·6 min read

How Visual Clutter Disrupts Information Flow in the Brain

A new study reveals that visual clutter alters how information flows between neurons in the brain’s primary visual cortex, but not the order in which it's processed. Researchers found that the efficiency of information transfer changes depending on the location of clutter in the visual field.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·October 10, 2024·4 min read

Neuroimaging Reveals How OPC Cells Shape Visual Processing

Researchers revealed the intricate role of OPC cells in shaping the brain's neural circuits. Previously known mainly for supporting neuron insulation, OPCs also prune unnecessary synaptic connections, refining the brain’s wiring as we accumulate experiences.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 9, 2024·6 min read

How Brain Cells Identify Smells and Related Images

A recent study reveals that specific brain cells respond not only to smells but also to images and written words related to those scents, providing deeper insight into human odor perception. Researchers found that neurons in the olfactory cortex and other brain regions, like the hippocampus and amygdala, distinguish between different smells and associate them with visual cues. This research, using data from epilepsy patients, bridges a gap between animal and human studies on olfactory processing.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·October 2, 2024·4 min read

Targeting Protein Reduces Macular Degeneration Symptoms

New research identifies a protein, TIMP3, overproduced in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that may drive the disease’s progression. By targeting the enzyme linked to inflammation and drusen formation, scientists reduced early signs of AMD in stem cell models, offering hope for new treatments.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology Visual Neuroscience

·October 1, 2024·5 min read

Reduced Brain Response to Visual Cues Linked to Psychosis in Parkinson’s

People with Parkinson's disease (PD) who experience visual hallucinations have reduced brain responses to unexpected visual changes, a marker known as visual mismatch negativity (vMMN). Using EEG, researchers compared brain activity in PD patients with and without hallucinations and discovered that those with hallucinations showed weaker vMMN signals.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 26, 2024·5 min read

Caregiver Cognition Linked to Infant Brain and Visual Development

Researchers have found that caregiver cognition is associated with infant visual cognition and brain function. The study revealed that infants' ability to detect visual changes is connected to their caregivers' visual cognition and behavioral regulation.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 21, 2024·5 min read

Serotonin Receptor Dampens Visual Input to Enhance Internal Processes

The 5-HT2A receptor in the brain reduces incoming visual information, allowing more space for internal thought processes. Researchers found that this receptor, when overactivated, suppresses sensory input, potentially explaining the effects of hallucinations from drugs like LSD.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·September 10, 2024·5 min read

How Flickering Light Induces Hallucinations

A new study reveals how flickering lights can trigger hallucinations by causing standing waves in the brain's visual cortex. Researchers observed that high-frequency flickering lights create ripple-like waves of neural activity, which turn into standing waves at higher frequencies.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·September 9, 2024·4 min read

Gene Therapy Offers Hope for Glaucoma and AMD

A newly developed gene therapy shows great potential for treating glaucoma, a condition that can lead to vision loss. The therapy protects retinal ganglion cells, essential for vision, and improves their function in animal models of glaucoma. It also enhances energy production in human retinal cells, which could prevent further damage. This therapy offers a new and promising approach to treating a condition that affects millions worldwide.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·September 6, 2024·4 min read

Gene Therapy Restores Vision

A new gene therapy has restored vision in patients with Leber congenital amaurosis type I (LCA1), a rare genetic condition causing blindness. In a small trial, those receiving the highest dose saw up to a 10,000-fold improvement in light sensitivity and significant gains in reading and navigation abilities.