Neuroscience

Researchers are paving the way for the design of bionic limbs that feel natural to users. They demonstrate the connection between hand movement patterns and motoneuron control patterns. The study, published in Science Robotics, also reports the application of these findings to a soft prosthetic hand, which was successfully tested by individuals with physical impairments.

Portable MRI (pMRI) technologies are rapidly transforming the landscape of neuroscience research, allowing neuroscientists to acquire brain data in community settings outside the hospital for the first time. But as neuroscientists increase access to MRI technology and move their research from a lab environment to broad community settings, they face novel ethical, legal, and societal issues (ELSI).

Some health problems, including chronic pain, inflammation and neurological diseases, can be treated by nerve stimulation, for example, with the help of electrodes that are attached to the ear and activate the vagus nerve. This method is sometimes referred to as an “electric pill.”

In a study published in Cell, a research team led by Zhu Shujia from the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), along with Li Yang from the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of CAS, has dissected the assembly and architecture of endogenous N-methyl-ᴅ-aspartate receptors (eNMDARs) in the adult mammalian cerebral cortex and hippocampus.

Imagine a swarm of fireflies, flickering lights on and off in the nighttime space. How does the human brain process and integrate information about duration and spatial position enabling this vision? This was the question addressed by Valeria Centanino, Gianfranco Fortunato, and Domenica Bueti from SISSA’s Cognitive Neuroscience group in their research published in Nature Communications.

A study led by scientists at Rutgers University-New Brunswick has shown that specialized cells involved in how the body responds to insulin are activated in the brain after exercise, suggesting that physical activity may directly improve brain function.

A brain-computer interface, surgically placed in a research participant with tetraplegia, paralysis in all four limbs, provided an unprecedented level of control over a virtual quadcopter—just by thinking about moving his unresponsive fingers.

Researchers have uncovered novel insights into how brain function disruptions related to cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) interact with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology to impact neurodegeneration and cognition in older adults.

University of Toronto researchers have developed a flexible, biodegradable electrode capable of stimulating neural precursor cells (NPCs) in the brain—a device capable of delivering targeted electrical stimulation for up to seven days before it dissolves naturally.

A new study from Karolinska Institutet and Mayo Clinic has revealed important insights into brain degeneration in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). This research, published in JAMA Neurology, could help doctors better monitor and treat this serious brain disease.