Neuroscience

Brain functions of seeing and moving delved

February 27, 2002

In the latest in a series of findings on highly specific brain functions by Nancy Kanwisher, professor of brain and cognitive sciences at MIT, researchers have identified the extrastriate body area (EBA) in the brain. The EBA responds strongly to pictures of body parts such as those pictured on the left, and does not respond strongly to similarly shaped images such as those on the right.

Brain region found to respond to images of the human body

October 3, 2001

MIT researchers find brain region that responds to images of the human body

September 27, 2001

Graduate student Camillo Padoa-Schioppa (left) and Professor Emilio Bizzi studied monkeys' movements using the computer joystick that Padoa-Schioppa has his hand on.

Motor area of brain involved in learning as well as acting

July 18, 2001

Postdoctoral fellow Jonathan Wallis (left) and Professor Earl Miller have pinpointed how and where abstract thoughts are represented in monkeys' brains.

Researchers home in on how brain handles abstract thought

July 18, 2001

Motor area of brain involved in learning as well as acting, MIT researchers report

July 13, 2001

The monkeys in the MIT study learned two abstract concepts: If the "same" rule was cued, monkeys released a joystick if the images were the same; and if the "different" rule was cued, they released the joystick if the pictures were different. Monkeys could apply these rules to pictures they had never seen before. Many more brain cells in the prefrontal cortex were devoted to the rules -- same or d...

MIT researchers home in on how the brain handles abstract thought

Monkeys in study taught to recognize "same" and "different" images

June 20, 2001

Valentin Dragoi, a postdoctoral fellow in brain and cognitive sciences, (seated) and Professor Mriganka Sur show an image of neural pinwheels on their computer monitor.

Some neurons are quick-change artists

May 9, 2001

Valentin Drago, left, and Mriganka Sur with a map of cells in the primary visual cortex that "see" tilted line segments.

MIT researchers say some brain cells are quick-change artists

May 2, 2001

Sheng appointed to first Menicon chair

April 11, 2001

This diagram illustrates a synapse in the central nervous system. Neurotransmitter molecules are released from presynaptic terminals along the axon of nerve Cell A, travel through the synaptic cleft and reach the postsynaptic terminal on Cell B's dendrite. If the transmitter released reaches a peak concentration quickly (within 1 millisecond) as in a mature release, receptors can detect the messag...

Neurons release neurotransmitters slowly at times, research shows

March 9, 2001

Neurotransmitters released slowly at times, work shows

March 8, 2001

Animals have complex dreams

January 31, 2001

Animals have complex dreams, MIT researcher proves

Study may advance understanding of human learning and memory.

January 24, 2001

Associate Professor Earl K. Miller with computer monitor images of morphing dogs and cats that monkeys are able to categorize.

Individual brain cells are 'tuned' to entire categories of information