Study reveals how an anesthesia drug induces unconsciousness
Propofol, a drug commonly used for general anesthesia, derails the brain’s normal balance between stability and excitability.
McGovern Institute
A new strategy to cope with emotional stress
A study by MIT scientists supports “social good” as a cognitive approach to dealing with highly stressful events.
What is language for?
Drawing on evidence from neurobiology, cognitive science, and corpus linguistics, MIT researchers make the case that language is a tool for communication, not for thought.
A prosthesis driven by the nervous system helps people with amputation walk naturally
A new surgical procedure gives people more neural feedback from their residual limb. With it, seven patients walked more naturally and navigated obstacles.
With programmable pixels, novel sensor improves imaging of neural activity
New camera chip design allows for optimizing each pixel’s timing to maximize signal-to-noise ratio when tracking real-time visual indicator of neural voltage.
Symposium highlights scale of mental health crisis and novel methods of diagnosis and treatment
Co-hosted by the McGovern Institute, MIT Open Learning, and others, the symposium stressed emerging technologies in advancing understanding of mental health and neurological conditions.
Just thinking about a location activates mental maps in the brain
MIT neuroscientists have found that the brain uses the same cognitive representations whether navigating through space physically or mentally.
Nancy Kanwisher, Robert Langer, and Sara Seager named Kavli Prize Laureates
MIT scientists honored in each of the three Kavli Prize categories: neuroscience, nanoscience, and astrophysics, respectively.
MIT scientists learn how to control muscles with light
A new study suggests optogenetics can drive muscle contraction with greater control and less fatigue than electrical stimulation.
Five MIT faculty elected to the National Academy of Sciences for 2024
Guoping Feng, Piotr Indyk, Daniel Kleitman, Daniela Rus, Senthil Todadri, and nine alumni are recognized by their peers for their outstanding contributions to research.
Using MRI, engineers have found a way to detect light deep in the brain
The new technique could enable detailed studies of how brain cells develop and communicate with each other.
Women in STEM — A celebration of excellence and curiosity
An MIT Values event showcased three women's career journeys and how they are paving the way for the next generation.
From neurons to learning and memory
Mark Harnett investigates how electrical activity in mammalian cortical cells helps to produce neural computations that give rise to behavior.
Reevaluating an approach to functional brain imaging
An MRI method purported to detect neurons’ rapid impulses produces its own misleading signals instead, an MIT study finds.
A new computational technique could make it easier to engineer useful proteins
MIT researchers plan to search for proteins that could be used to measure electrical activity in the brain.