Tag: AI

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Microscopic photos observed through changes of the flourescence of the synapse sensor (SynapShot) by cultivating the neurons of an experimental rat and expressing the SynapShot. The changes in the synapse that is created when the pre- and post-synaptic terminals come into contact and the synapse that disappears after a certain period of time are measured by the fluorescence of the SynapShot. Credit: KAIST Optogenetics & RNA therapeutics Lab

New research has observed the processes of memory and cognition in real-time.

A new study reveals significant findings in the fight against Long Covid. Through a comprehensive analysis of blood serum from 113 patients, researchers discovered changes in blood serum proteins related to the complement system, coagulation, and tissue injury in Long Covid patients.

New research has found that exercising both before and after learning optimizes memory formation, with a notable 10% improvement in remembering motor skills.

A new study employs generative AI to shed light on how the human brain processes memories for learning, imagination, and planning. The study used a computational model resembling the hippocampus and neocortex’s neural networks to simulate memory encoding and retrieval.

A new study has reported that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, can infect dopamine neurons in the brain and trigger senescence—when a cell loses the ability to grow and divide.

Researchers have taken the first steps to treat Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Type 2 diabetes by creating multiple patent-pending compounds shown to inhibit protein aggregation associated with those diseases.

A neuroscientific study is paving the way for improving the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s.

A new study reveals limitations in the current use of mathematical models for personalized medicine, particularly in schizophrenia treatment. Although these models can predict patient outcomes in specific clinical trials, they fail when applied to different trials, challenging the reliability of AI-driven algorithms in diverse settings.

Research into the nature of memory reveals how cells that store information are stabilized over time.

A new study explores how infants and toddlers acquire language. Findings reveal early comprehension begins around 6-7 months, and significant improvements in language understanding occur around a child’s first birthday.

New research looks at ways to predict when a migraine attack will occur.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found overactivation in many brain regions, including the frontal and parietal lobes and the amygdala, in unmedicated children with anxiety disorders. They also showed that treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) led to improvements in clinical symptoms and brain functioning.

An international research has proposed a new model for classifying Parkinson’s disease.

A ribbon of brain tissue called cortical gray matter grows thinner in people who go on to develop dementia, and this appears to be an accurate biomarker of the disease five to 10 years before symptoms appear, scientists report.

3D bioprinting sheds light on why blood vessel curvature may foster brain cancer metastasis.

Researchers achieved a significant advancement in robotics by replicating human-like variable speed walking using a musculoskeletal model. This model, steered by a reflex control method akin to the human nervous system, enhances our understanding of human locomotion and sets new standards for robotic technology.

There is a difference between how the brains of healthy older adults perceive color compared to younger adults, finds a new study.

Researchers conducted a study to explore the neuroscientific basis of fairness in social situations, investigating the interplay between personal interests and societal norms. By applying electric brain stimulation to 60 participants, the researchers pinpointed specific brain regions crucial to fairness decisions.

Finally this week, scientists have made a significant discovery using an artificial neural network model, suggesting that musical instinct may emerge naturally from the human brain.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Three experiments to test how dopamine affects cognitive performance during acute exercise. Credit: The Journal of Physiology (2024)

A study exploring the mechanisms behind why cognitive performance improves in response to exercise, has found that dopamine plays a key role.

Researchers have discovered that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) develop distinct attentional preferences compared to typically developing children, focusing more on non-social stimuli like objects and textures.

Brain structure predicts treatment response to antidepressant and placebo medications, according to a new study.

Recent research contrasts the learning mechanisms of the human brain with those of deep learning in AI. Despite having fewer layers and slower, noisier dynamics, the brain can perform complex classification tasks as effectively as AI with hundreds of layers.

A new study uncovers a unique aspect of human memory: our ability to recall events is sharper after experiencing negative emotions.

A major clinical trial has shown that by using MRI and tracking to guide the delivery of magnetic stimulation to the brains of people with severe depression, patients will see their symptoms ease for at least six months, which could vastly improve their quality of life.

New research reveals that coming off antidepressants like Prozac can cause not only physical symptoms but also emotional, cognitive, and social difficulties.

Through transcriptomic profiling of more than 300,000 cells in human substantia nigra, a part of the brain that helps control the body’s movements, a research team has identified a previously unreported neuron type with vulnerability in Parkinson’s disease. This novel finding could help explain the complexity of the disease symptoms and direct new therapeutics development.

Researchers have found evidence suggesting that children exposed to elevated levels of early life adversity exhibit an accelerated pattern of brain development during the preschool years.

New research for the first time reveals the function of a little-understood junction between cells in the brain that could have important treatment implications for conditions ranging from multiple sclerosis to Alzheimer’s disease, to a type of brain cancer known as glioma.

Finally this week, a third major study finds that multivitamin supplements improve memory and slow cognitive aging in older adults.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Schematic of preprocessing and model training

Researchers have, for the first time ever, used AI to develop an algorithm they term “HistoAge” which predicts age at death based on the cellular composition of human brain tissue specimens with an average accuracy of within 5.45 years. This powerful tool can also identify neuroanatomical regions vulnerable to age-related changes, an indicator of potential cognitive diseases.

Scientists have uncovered why night shift work is associated with changes in appetite. The findings could help the millions of people who work through the night and struggle with weight gain.

The brain circuitry disrupted in Alzheimer’s disease appears to influence memory through a type of brain wave known as theta oscillation, a team of researchers report. The findings, published in Nature Communications, could help researchers design and evaluate new treatments for Alzheimer’s, a condition that affects millions of people around the globe and has no cure.

A new study suggests that a healthy heart may help prevent Alzheimer’s—and this gives hope for new treatments.

Researchers have shown the potential of a new gene therapy approach to silence human sensory neurons (nerve cells) as a means of treating persistent pain. Many current drugs for chronic pain are highly addictive, which makes it important to discover new alternatives.

Scientists have developed new tools, based on AI language models, that can characterize subtle signatures in the speech of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Can plant-derived nutrients alter gut bacteria to affect brain function? A team of scientists investigated this question in a study of overweight adults. Their findings, published in the journal Gut, suggest that dietary fiber can exert influence on both the composition of gut bacteria and the reward signals in the brain and associated food decision-making.

New guidance has been issued for clinicians on the determination of brain death, also known as death by neurologic criteria

Researchers have shown it is possible to detect tell-tale signs of Parkinson’s disease 20–30 years before symptoms appear. Their work opens the door to screening programs and preventative treatments long before irreversible damage is done.

Finally this week, there is evidence that some form of conscious experience is present by birth, and perhaps even in late pregnancy, an international team of researchers has found.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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A baby next to fMRI scanning images of its brain. Understanding how an infant’s brain is typically organized may help answer questions when something goes awry. The image is credited to Cory Inman.

A newborn’s brain is more adult-like than previously assumed. Neuroimaging revealed much of the visual cortex scaffolding is in place, along with patterns of brain activity at 27 days of age, although it is not quite as strong as seen in adult brains.

New research uses the mating songs of birds to show how intrinsic properties of cells are closely tied to the complex processes of learning.

People with a life-long history of antisocial behavior had decreased mean surface area of the brain and lower mean cortical thickness than those with no history of antisocial behavior. Much of the cortical thinning was in areas associated with emotional regulation, motivation, and goal-directed behavior.

Two separate studies display the fascinating relations between AI and neuroscience.

Low-intensity exercise triggers brain networks associated with cognitive control and attention processing, while high-intensity exercise activates networks involved in emotional processing.

Following a stroke, dysfunction in the glymphatic system causes cerebrospinal fluid to flood the brain, drowning neurons, and triggering cerebral edema.

An unexpected research finding is providing new information that could lead to new treatments of certain neurological diseases and disorders, including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and spinal cord injury.

Male patients on the autism spectrum who were given oxytocin for four weeks experienced improvements in social attachment behaviors for up to 12 months.

Finally this week, new brain networks come ‘online’ during adolescence, allowing teenagers to develop more complex adult social skills, but potentially putting them at increased risk of mental illness, according to new research.