Brain pathways that control dopamine release may influence motor control
The newly identified pathways appear to relay emotional information that helps to shape the motivation to take action.
Department
Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Model reveals why debunking election misinformation often doesn’t work
The new study also identifies factors that can make these efforts more successful.
Tiny magnetic discs offer remote brain stimulation without transgenes
The devices could be a useful tool for biomedical research, and possible clinical use in the future.
A new method makes high-resolution imaging more accessible
Labs that can’t afford expensive super-resolution microscopes could use a new expansion technique to image nanoscale structures inside cells.
The way sensory prediction changes under anesthesia tells us how conscious cognition works
A new study adds evidence that consciousness requires communication between sensory and cognitive regions of the brain’s cortex.
Mixing joy and resolve, event celebrates women in science and addresses persistent inequalities
The Kuggie Vallee Distinguished Lectures and Workshops presented inspiring examples of success, even as the event evoked frank discussions of the barriers that still hinder many women in science.
AI pareidolia: Can machines spot faces in inanimate objects?
New dataset of “illusory” faces reveals differences between human and algorithmic face detection, links to animal face recognition, and a formula predicting where people most often perceive faces.
Startup helps people fall asleep by aligning audio signals with brainwaves
Elemind, founded by researchers from MIT, has developed a headband that uses acoustic stimulation to move people into a sleep state.
Research quantifying “nociception” could help improve management of surgical pain
New statistical models based on physiological data from more than 100 surgeries provide objective, accurate measures of the body’s subconscious perception of pain.
Finding some stability in adaptable brains
New research suggests neurons protect and preserve certain information through a dedicated zone of stable synapses.
Harnessing the power of placebo for pain relief
MIT researchers investigate the neural circuits that underlie placebos’ ability to relieve chronic and acute pain.
Study assesses seizure risk from stimulating the thalamus
In animal models, even low stimulation currents can sometimes still cause electrographic seizures, researchers found.
Scientists find neurons that process language on different timescales
In language-processing areas of the brain, some cell populations respond to one word, while others respond to strings of words.
MIT study explains why laws are written in an incomprehensible style
The convoluted “legalese” used in legal documents conveys a special sense of authority, and even non-lawyers have learned to wield it.
Study reveals ways in which 40Hz sensory stimulation may preserve brain’s “white matter”
Gamma frequency light and sound stimulation preserves myelination in mouse models and reveals molecular mechanisms that may underlie the benefit.