When a task adds more steps, this brain circuit helps you notice
By tracking feedback during tasks, the anterior cingulate cortex notices when a new step has become necessary and signals the motor cortex to adjust.
MIT scientists discover new antiviral defense system in bacteria
Prokaryotes can detect hallmark viral proteins and trigger cell death through a process seen across all domains of life.
How microglia contribute to Alzheimer’s disease
A breakdown of lipid metabolism in these brain cells promotes inflammation and interferes with neuron activity, a new study finds.
Advanced imaging reveals mired migration of neurons in Rett syndrome lab models
Using organoids to model early development, researchers used an emerging microscopy technology to see that new neurons struggled to reach their developmental destination.
Sprint then stop? The brain is wired for the math to make it happen
To ensure a quick halt, brain circuit architecture avoids a slow process of integration in favor of quicker differentiation, study finds.
Q&A: Warehouse robots that feel by sight
Neuroscience professor and Science Hub investigator Ted Adelson explains how simulating the sense of touch with a camera can make robots smarter.
New findings reveal how neurons build and maintain their capacity to communicate
Nerve cells regulate and routinely refresh the collection of calcium channels that enable them to send messages across circuit connections.
Whether speaking Turkish or Norwegian, the brain’s language network looks the same
Studying speakers of 45 languages, neuroscientists found similar patterns of brain activation and language selectivity.
Study illuminates trade-off between complex words and complex sentences
A team of cognitive scientists and doctors finds that patients with aphasia use different cognitive tools to compensate for language deficits.
Artificial neural networks model face processing in autism
A new computational model could explain differences in recognizing facial emotions.
Three distinct brain circuits in the thalamus contribute to Parkinson’s symptoms
Targeting these circuits could offer a new way to reverse motor dysfunction and depression in Parkinson’s patients.
How the brain responds to surprising events
Unexpected outcomes trigger release of noradrenaline, which helps the brain focus its attention and learn from the event.
Early sound exposure in the womb shapes the auditory system
Modeling study suggests that the muffled environment in utero primes the brain’s ability to interpret some types of sound.
New research center focused on brain-body relationship established at MIT
K. Lisa Yang Brain-Body Center to investigate the brain’s complex relationship with other body systems.
Emery Brown wins a share of 2022 Gruber Neuroscience Prize
Brown and three other scientists recognized for advancing statistical, theoretical analyses of neuroscience data.