Lifeboat Foundation

MIT researchers have developed an alternative approach that uses ultrasound instead of electricity to perform deep brain stimulation, delivered by a fiber about the thickness of a human hair.

Deep brain stimulation, by implanted electrodes that deliver electrical pulses to the brain, is often used to treat Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders. However, the electrodes used for this treatment can eventually corrode and accumulate scar tissue, requiring them to be removed.

MIT researchers have now developed an alternative approach that uses ultrasound instead of electricity to perform deep brain stimulation, delivered by a fiber about the thickness of a human hair. In a study of mice, they showed that this stimulation can trigger neurons to release dopamine, in a part of the brain that is often targeted in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Continue reading “Ultrasound offers a new way to perform deep brain stimulation” »

Research indicates that long-term depression from young adulthood negatively impacts cognitive function by middle age, with greater effects seen in black adults, possibly explaining some disparities in dementia risk.

According to a study published in the June 12, 2024, issue of Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, prolonged depressive symptoms beginning in young adulthood are associated with poorer thinking and memory skills by middle age. Additionally, the study noted that black adults are more likely to experience these depressive symptoms compared to white adults.

Racial disparities in depression and dementia risk.

Summary: A new study uncovered how epigenetic marks and the Cux2 protein influence brain folding. The study reveals that the epigenetic mark H3K27ac and Cux2 are key to forming the cerebral cortex’s gyri and sulci.

These findings enhance our understanding of brain development and could inform treatments for brain malformations. The research underscores the complexity of the nervous system and the pivotal role of epigenetics in brain structure.

Diagnosing dementia early gives us more time to put precautions in place and to study exactly how the condition progresses – and a new method for predicting conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease is promising up to nine years of advance warning.

The method, developed by a team from the Queen Mary University of London in the UK and Monash University in Australia, involves a neurobiological model that analyzes brain scans captured by functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI.

In tests, the model was more than 80 percent accurate at predicting the development of dementia. That has huge potential in terms of early diagnosis, and it also addresses another challenge: the large number of people with dementia who don’t get diagnosed at all.

The size and surface area of the mammalian brain are thought to be critical determinants of intellectual ability. Recent studies show that development of the gyrated human neocortex involves a lineage of neural stem and transit-amplifying cells that forms the outer subventricular zone (OSVZ), a proliferative region outside the ventricular epithelium. We discuss how proliferation of cells within the OSVZ expands the neocortex by increasing neuron number and modifying the trajectory of migrating neurons.

When a magnet is heated up, it reaches a critical point where it loses magnetization.

New finding appears to be universal across insects, mammals and humans.

A 3D reconstruction of select neurons within a small region of the human cortex. Credit: Harvard/Google.

Continue reading “Brain’s structure hangs in ‘a delicate balance’” »

The study offers promising evidence that exercise can counteract age-related changes in the brain, particularly by rejuvenating microglia. The findings contribute to our understanding of how physical activity can benefit cognitive health and open up new avenues for developing interventions to prevent or slow cognitive decline during aging.

“One of the goals is it to encourage elderly to exercise as we have demonstrated that it is possible to reverse some of the negative aspect of ageing on the brain and thereby improve cognitive performance,” Vukovic said. “The other long-term goals is to find ways and treatments to help elicit the beneficial aspect of exercise on the brain in those individual that are unable to exercise or bed-bound.”

The study, “Exercise rejuvenates microglia and reverses T cell accumulation in the aged female mouse brain,” was authored by Solal Chauquet, Emily F. Willis, Laura Grice, Samuel B. R. Harley, Joseph E. Powell, Naomi R. Wray, Quan Nguyen, Marc J. Ruitenberg, Sonia Shah, and Jana Vukovic.

A map of the entire human brain could help us understand where diseases come from, to how we store memories. But mapping the brain with today’s technology would take billions of dollars and hundreds of years. Learn what GR has already revealed about the brain, and how it’s making it easier for scientists to—someday—reach this goal.

#GoogleResearch

Embark on a captivating journey through the intricate pathways of the brain. This video delves into the fascinating realm where neuroscience and the philosophy of knowledge converge. Explore how brain structures facilitate learning, the dynamic interplay between cognition and perception, and the profound mysteries of consciousness and self-awareness. Discover the roles of language, emotion, and sensory integration in shaping our reality. Delve into the ethical considerations of brain manipulation and the revolutionary potential of educational neuroscience and brain-computer interfaces. Join us as we push the boundaries of knowledge, uncovering the secrets of the mind and envisioning the future of human cognition.

#Neuroepistemology #BrainScience #Cognition #Neuroplasticity #BrainComputerInterface.

Continue reading “The Brain’s Pathways to Knowledge: Neuroepistemology” »