The rules neurons follow to make sense of what we see
Brain cells take in many signals through thousands of circuit connections. A new study discerns the rules that turn inputs into a functional arrangement for neurons that process vision.
How a unique class of neurons may set the table for brain development
Somatostatin-expressing neurons follow a unique trajectory when forming connections in the visual cortex that may help establish the conditions needed for sensory experience to refine circuits.
Prefrontal cortex reaches back into the brain to shape how other regions function
Research illustrates how areas within the brain’s executive control center tailor messages in specific circuits with other brain regions to influence them with information about behavior and feelings.
MIT study shows how vision can be rebooted in adults with amblyopia
Temporarily anesthetizing the retina briefly reverts the activity of the visual system to that observed in early development and enables growth of responses to the amblyopic (“lazy”) eye.
Study finds key role for non-neural brain cells in processing vision
MIT researchers employed a novel application of tools and analysis to show that astrocytes ensure neural information processing by maintaining ambient levels of the neurotransmitter chemical GABA.
How the brain splits up vision without you even noticing
As an object moves across your field of view, the brain seamlessly hands off visual processing from one hemisphere to the other like cell phone towers or relay racers do, a new MIT study shows.
Connect or reject: Extensive rewiring builds binocular vision in the brain
A first-of-its-kind study in mice shows neurons add and shed synapses at a frenzied pace during development to integrate visual signals from the two eyes.
A visual pathway in the brain may do more than recognize objects
New research using computational vision models suggests the brain’s “ventral stream” might be more versatile than previously thought.
A new way to make graphs more accessible to blind and low-vision readers
The Tactile Vega-Lite system, developed at MIT CSAIL, streamlines the tactile chart design process; could help educators efficiently create these graphics and aid designers in making precise changes.
Professor Emeritus Gerald Schneider, discoverer of the “two visual systems,” dies at 84
An MIT affiliate for some 60 years, Schneider was an authority on the relationships between brain structure and behavior.
Study explains why the brain can robustly recognize images, even without color
The findings also reveal why identifying objects in black-and-white images is more difficult for individuals who were born blind and had their sight restored.
Mapping the brain pathways of visual memorability
For the first time, researchers use a combination of MEG and fMRI to map the spatio-temporal human brain dynamics of a visual image being recognized.
Professor Emeritus Peter Schiller, a pioneer researcher of the visual system, dies at 92
His wide-ranging and influential career included fundamental discoveries about how visual scenes and stimuli are processed from the retina through the cortical visual system.
Image recognition accuracy: An unseen challenge confounding today’s AI
“Minimum viewing time” benchmark gauges image recognition complexity for AI systems by measuring the time needed for accurate human identification.
Elly Nedivi receives 2023 Kreig Cortical Kudos Discoverer Award
The neuroscientist is recognized for her ongoing work to understand molecular and cellular mechanisms that enable the brain to adapt to experience.