A “golden era” to study the brain
“We can’t think of the brain only as neurons,” says PhD student Mitch Murdock, who explores the cellular basis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Department
Brain and Cognitive Sciences
MIT cognitive scientists win Ig Nobel for shedding light on legalese
Edward Gibson and Eric Martinez are among this year's winners of the satiric prize, for explaining what makes legal documents so difficult to comprehend.
Study reveals how environment and state are integrated to control behavior
A simple animal model shows how stimuli and states such as smells, stressors, and satiety converge in an olfactory neuron to guide food-seeking behavior.
How the brain focuses on what’s in mind
When holding information in mind, neural activity is more focused when and where there are bursts of gamma frequency rhythms.
Modeling the social mind
PhD student Setayesh Radkani studies the psychological and neural mechanisms at work when humans learn from and influence each other.
Studies of autism tend to exclude women, researchers find
A commonly used screening test creates a gender gap that may hinder diagnosis and treatment for women and girls.
How the brain generates rhythmic behavior
MIT neuroscientists have identified an oscillatory circuit that controls the rhythmic movement of mouse whiskers.
Microscopy technique reveals hidden nanostructures in cells and tissues
Separating densely packed molecules before imaging allows them to become visible for the first time.
These neurons have food on the brain
MIT scientists have discovered a population of neurons that light up whenever we see images of food.
When Alzheimer’s degrades cells that cross hemispheres, visual memory suffers
Research reveals cells that span brain hemispheres to coordinate activity in visual processing centers, shows Alzheimer’s degrades their structure and function.
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.