After decades of fundamental scientific and drug discovery research, Alzheimer’s disease has remained inscrutable and incurable, with a bare minimum of therapeutic progress. But in a new review article in Nature Neuroscience, MIT scientists write that by employing the new research capability of single-cell profiling, the field has rapidly achieved long-sought insights with strong potential for both… Continue reading New technologies reveal cross-cutting breakdowns in Alzheimer’s disease
Tag: Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience
Holding information in mind may mean storing it among synapses
AI SummaryMIT neuroscientists have published a study in PLOS Computational Biology explaining how working memory works. The study found that a network of neurons stores information in working memory by making short-lived changes in the pattern of their connections, contradicting the traditional theory that memory is maintained by persistently active neurons. This insight provides a… Continue reading Holding information in mind may mean storing it among synapses
Professor Emeritus Richard Wurtman, influential figure in translational research, dies at 86
AI SummaryRichard Wurtman, a prominent neurochemist and neuropharmacologist who was a member of the MIT faculty for 44 years, has died at the age of 86. Wurtman’s research on neurotransmitters and the impact of nutrition on brain function has made significant contributions to our understanding of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and premenstrual syndrome. He… Continue reading Professor Emeritus Richard Wurtman, influential figure in translational research, dies at 86
This is your brain. This is your brain on code
AI SummaryFunctional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been used to study the brain activity of programmers as they comprehend and process code. The research found that different parts of the brain are activated when programmers evaluate code involving loops or branches, words or math, and code or descriptions. The study also showed that dynamic analysis… Continue reading This is your brain. This is your brain on code
Five from MIT named 2023 Quad Fellows
AI SummaryFour MIT alumni and a Harvard-MIT doctoral student have been selected for the inaugural class of the Quad Fellowship, a joint initiative of the governments of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. The fellowship aims to support exceptional individuals pursuing STEM graduate study in the United States and provides a $50,000 award for… Continue reading Five from MIT named 2023 Quad Fellows
Small studies of 40-hertz sensory stimulation confirm safety, suggest Alzheimer’s benefits
AI SummaryEarly-stage clinical studies have found that 40-hertz sensory stimulation was well-tolerated, with no serious adverse effects and produced neurological and behavioral benefits among participants with Alzheimer’s disease. The studies are preliminary and more extensive research is needed to determine the efficacy of 40-hertz sensory stimulation as a potential therapeutic for Alzheimer’s.A pair of early-stage… Continue reading Small studies of 40-hertz sensory stimulation confirm safety, suggest Alzheimer’s benefits
How touch dampens the brain’s response to painful stimuli
AI SummaryResearchers at MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research have observed how touch can alleviate pain in mice, offering a deeper understanding of the relationship between pain and touch and potential insights into chronic pain in humans. The researchers found that whisker movement, which activates touch receptors in mice’s faces, altered their responses to painful… Continue reading How touch dampens the brain’s response to painful stimuli
Silent synapses are abundant in the adult brain
AI SummaryMIT neuroscientists have discovered that the adult brain contains silent synapses, immature connections between neurons that remain inactive until they are recruited to help form new memories. About 30% of synapses in the adult mouse brain are silent, and the researchers believe this helps the brain continuously form new memories without modifying existing synapses.… Continue reading Silent synapses are abundant in the adult brain
Teresa Gao named 2024 Mitchell Scholar
AI SummaryMIT senior Teresa Gao has been named one of the 12 winners of the George J. Mitchell Scholarship’s Class of 2024. After graduating next spring with a double major in computer science and engineering as well as brain and cognitive sciences, she will study augmented and virtual reality at Trinity College Dublin. Gao is… Continue reading Teresa Gao named 2024 Mitchell Scholar
Alzheimer’s risk gene undermines insulation of brain’s “wiring”
AI SummaryA new study published in Nature by an MIT-based team provides insight into how the APOE4 gene variant increases the risk for Alzheimer’s disease. The study shows that APOE4 disrupts the management of cholesterol in brain cells called oligodendrocytes, leading to a deficiency in the fatty insulation of neurons known as myelin, which impairs… Continue reading Alzheimer’s risk gene undermines insulation of brain’s “wiring”