“Spatial computing” enables flexible working memory
The brain applies rhythms to physical patches of the cortex to selectively control just the right neurons at the right times to do the right things.
3 Questions: Mriganka Sur on the research origins of the first approved drug to treat Rett syndrome
On March 10 the FDA approved Trofinetide, a drug based on the protein IGF-1. The MIT professor's original research showing that IGF-1 could treat Rett was published in 2009.
Studies of unusual brains reveal critical insights into brain organization, function
Ev Fedorenko’s Interesting Brains Project highlights the human brain’s remarkable capacity to adapt, reorganize in the face of early damage.
Researchers map brain cell changes in Alzheimer’s disease
Study reveals key cell structures and gene expression changes near amyloid plaques and tau tangles in mouse brain tissue.
Sparse, small, but diverse neural connections help make perception reliable, efficient
First detailed mapping and modeling of thalamus inputs onto visual cortex neurons show brain leverages “wisdom of the crowd” to process sensory information.
Portable cap can measure cognition with pulsed laser light
The cap will help researchers gain new insight into how the brain functions.
How Huntington’s disease affects different neurons
A new study identifies cells that are the most vulnerable within a brain structure involved in mood and movement.
New technologies reveal cross-cutting breakdowns in Alzheimer’s disease
“Single-cell profiling” is helping neuroscientists see how disease affects major brain cell types and identify common, potentially targetable pathways.
Holding information in mind may mean storing it among synapses
Comparing models of working memory with real-world data, MIT researchers find information resides not in persistent neural activity, but in the pattern of its connections.
Professor Emeritus Richard Wurtman, influential figure in translational research, dies at 86
Longtime MIT professor of neuroscience led research behind 200 patents, laying the groundwork for numerous medical products.
This is your brain. This is your brain on code
MIT researchers are discovering which parts of the brain are engaged when a person evaluates a computer program.
Five from MIT named 2023 Quad Fellows
The new fellowship from the governments of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, administered by Schmidt Futures, supports graduate education in STEM fields.
Small studies of 40-hertz sensory stimulation confirm safety, suggest Alzheimer’s benefits
MIT researchers report early-stage clinical study results of tests with noninvasive 40-hertz light and sound treatment.
Using light to manipulate neuron excitability
A new optogenetics-based tool allows researchers to control how neurons respond to electrical input.
How touch dampens the brain’s response to painful stimuli
Rubbing an aching body part can bring some relief. Neuroscientists at MIT's McGovern Institute are looking to find out why.