Neuroimaging News and Research

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MIT researchers use specialized MRI sensor to detect light deep within tissues

Using a specialized MRI sensor, MIT researchers have shown that they can detect light deep within tissues such as the brain.

3 Jan 2023

Interactional closeness with a dog can increase prefrontal brain activity

Researchers led by Rahel Marti at the University of Basel in Switzerland report that viewing, feeling, and touching real dogs leads to increasingly higher levels of activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain.

6 Oct 2022

A new holographic microscope developed to observe neural networks in brain

Scientists headed by Associate Director Wonshik Choi of the Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics in the Institute for Basic Science, Professor Kim Moonseok of The Catholic University of Korea, and Professor Myunghwan Choi of Seoul National University designed a new kind of holographic microscope.

19 Sep 2022

Researchers discover 15 genetic 'hotspots' that speed up or slow down brain aging

Researchers from a USC-led consortium have discovered 15 "hotspots" in the genome that either speed up brain aging or slow it down -; a finding that could provide new drug targets to resist Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative brain disorders, as well as developmental delays.

6 Apr 2022

High-resolution 3D map reveals cellular structure of the human metathalamus

A new, high-resolution 3D map of a previously unmapped area of the brain has been reconstructed by a team of researchers as part of the Human Brain Project (HBP). The German-based group developed a cytoarchitectonic map (a map of the cellular structure of the brain, down to the individual neurons) of the metathalamus, an area involved in processing audiovisual information.

4 Apr 2022

Researchers aim to tackle neurodegenerative diseases of the eye and brain

Could a new paradigm in digital health treat blinding disorders and possibly also be a conduit for treating other parts of the brain? A multi-disciplinary team of world-renowned researchers at USC are exploring this exciting possibility.

31 Jan 2022

Experts carry out the first major genetic study into cortical folding patterns

The brain’s surface, the cortex, is folded into an intricate pattern of grooves (sulci) and bumps (gyri). Individual differences in this pattern are associated with cognitive performance and brain disorders, however very little is known on how the “bumpiness and grooviness” of the cortex is determined.

23 Dec 2021

New two-photon microscope provides unprecedented brain-imaging ability

Advancing our understanding of the human brain will require new insights into how neural circuitry works in mammals, including laboratory mice.

3 Dec 2021

Study sheds light on how genes and air pollution elevate healthy people’s depression risk

A genetic predisposition for depression combined with exposure to high-particulate-matter air pollution greatly elevates the risk that healthy people will experience depression, according to a first-of-its-kind study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences from neuroscientists at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, on the Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, and Peking University in Beijing, China.

9 Nov 2021

New technology offers an alternative way to produce highly detailed images of the brain

The gold standard in functional brain imaging for over two decades, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has transformed the landscape of research and clinical care. Yet, because of its cost and functional limitations, scientists have continued to look for new ways to see into the human brain.

15 Jun 2021

Developing computational tools to illuminate how genetic factors impact the brain

Liang Zhan, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering, received a $500,000 CAREER award from the National Science Foundation to develop computational tools that improve our understanding of the human brain.

From University of Pittsburgh 8 Jun 2021

Single biomarker in the blood can accurately indicate underlying neurodegeneration

Levels of a protein called neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the blood can identify those who might have neurodegenerative diseases such as Down's syndrome dementia, motor neuron disease (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia, when clinical symptoms are not definitive.

8 Jun 2021

Study: REAER is a promising therapy for improving the lives of patients with multiple sclerosis

A team of multiple sclerosis (MS) experts at Kessler Foundation led the first pilot randomized controlled trial of robotic-exoskeleton assisted exercise rehabilitation (REAER) effects on mobility, cognition, and brain connectivity in people with substantial MS-related disability.

31 May 2021

Study identifies DNA alterations that underpin brain and cognitive decline in the elderly

According to a new mathematical model published recently in eLife, Alzheimer’s disease has some important similarities with healthy aging.

20 May 2021

Two central metrics of signal detection theory correlate with changes in cognitive fatigue

A team of New Jersey researchers has shown that changes in perceptual certainty and response bias, two central metrics of signal detection theory (SDT), correlate with changes in cognitive fatigue.

2 Apr 2021

Discovering a new genetic mutation in Schizophrenia

A new genetic mutation has been discovered in schizophrenia, and we spoke to Dr. Todd Lencz from the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research to find out more.

From Northwell Health 1 Apr 2021

Two new Alzheimer’s genes discovered

AZoLifeSciences speaks to researchers from Tianjin Medical University about their latest research that led to the discovery of two new genes that are linked to Alzheimer's disease.

From Tianjin Medical University 1 Mar 2021

Study identifies molecular mutation more common in African Americans with late-onset Alzheimer’s

Scientists have identified a molecular mechanism that leads to a “traffic jam” of enzymes, resulting in the accumulation of amyloid-beta.

19 Nov 2020

Dopamine and serotonin found to be involved in perception, cognitive capacities

In first-of-their-kind observations in the human brain, an international team of researchers has revealed two well-known neurochemicals -- dopamine and serotonin -- are at work at sub-second speeds to shape how people perceive the world and take action based on their perception.

13 Oct 2020

'Little brain' contains almost 80% of the cerebral cortex’s surface area

When we say someone has a quick mind, it may be in part thanks to our expanded cerebellum that distinguishes human brains from those of macaque monkeys, for example.

3 Aug 2020