Electric fields may represent information held in working memory, allowing the brain to overcome “representational drift,” or the inconsistent participation of individual neurons. As the brain strives to hold information in mind, such as the list of groceries we need to buy on the way home, a new study suggests that the most consistent and...
Tag: <span>Neurons</span>
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Neurons are fickle. Electric fields are more reliable for information
by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Estimated amplitude of a neural electric field at each electrode over an 800 millisecond time frame. Credit: Dimitris Pinotsis. A new study suggests that electric fields may represent information held in working memory, allowing the brain to overcome “representational drift,” or the inconsistent participation of individual neurons. As the brain...
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Motor proteins haul precious cargo in neurons. How can we control their movement?
UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO BUFFALO, N.Y. — Inside neurons, motor proteins haul precious cargo, moving essential goods along thread-like roadways called microtubule tracks. This miniature highway system is vital for keeping neurons healthy: When traffic is flowing well, critical materials are able to reach distant areas of the cells where they’re needed. When the system breaks...
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Neurons in the olfactory cortex link smells to places
by Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown Neurons in the primary olfactory cortex create an odour-spatial map. Credit: Diogo Matias, Champalimaud Foundation Smell has the power to transport us across time and space. It could be the sweet fragrance of jasmine, or the musty scent of algae. Suddenly, you are back at your childhood home, or...
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Scientists explain why neurons consume so much fuel even when at rest
by Weill Cornell Medical College Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Pound for pound, the brain consumes vastly more energy than other organs, and, puzzlingly, it remains a fuel-guzzler even when its neurons are not firing signals called neurotransmitters to each other. Now researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have found that the process of packaging neurotransmitters may be...
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Call-and-response circuit tells neurons when to grow synapses
by Salk Institute Astrocytes (green) and neurons (magenta) closely interact in the developing cortex and signal to each other to ensure correct development. Credit: Salk Institute. Brain cells called astrocytes play a key role in helping neurons develop and function properly, but there’s still a lot scientists don’t understand about how astrocytes perform these important jobs....
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Excitatory neural receptors aid development of adult-born neurons
by Will Doss, Northwestern University Adult-born neurons in a section of the dentate gyrus. Red, green and yellow neurons are labeled with different markers. Blue outlines the dentate gyrus where mature neurons are located. Credit: Northwestern University A unique interaction between an excitatory neural receptor and a chloride transporter are critical for development of adult-born neurons...
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Laser-Assisted Bioprinting of Neurons
SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2021 CONN HASTINGS A team at Concordia University in Montreal have developed a technique called Laser-Induced Side Transfer (LIST) that allows for bioprinting of neurons. Low energy laser pulses are directed at a capillary containing a cell-laden bioink, resulting in microbubbles that eject a microjet of the ink onto the substrate below. The technique...
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Single neurons might behave as networks
by Tali Aronsky, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain We are in the midst of a scientific and technological revolution. The computers of today use artificial intelligence to learn from example and to execute sophisticated functions that, until recently, were thought impossible. These smart algorithms can recognize faces and even drive autonomous vehicles. Deep...
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Neurons in visual cortex of the brain ‘drift’ over time
Although other studies have documented “representational drift” in neurons in the parts of the brain associated with odor and spatial memory, this result is surprising because neural activity in the primary visual cortex is thought to be relatively stable. The study published in Nature Communications was led by Ji Xia, a recent PhD graduate of the laboratory of Ralf...