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Articles on Neurons

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The U.S. BRAIN Initiative seeks to elucidate the connection between brain structure and function. Science Photo Library - PASIEKA/Brand X Pictures via Getty Images

Illuminating the brain one neuron and synapse at a time – 5 essential reads about how researchers are using new tools to map its structure and function

From figuring out where memories are stored to how sensory information translates to behavior, new technologies are helping neuroscientists better understand how the brain works.
Epilepsy is characterized by spontaneous and recurrent seizures, often triggered by stress or visual stimuli. (Shutterstock)

What epilepsy teaches us about diversity and resilience

Our team studied the activity of neurons in people with epilepsy. Neurons in the brain regions responsible for triggering seizures were much less diverse.
People can have several thousand thoughts per day, many of which can be classified as spontaneous or involuntary. (Shutterstock)

Where our thoughts come from: How microemotions affect spontaneous thought

Emotions play a key role in many types of spontaneous thoughts. Even microemotions — which are often fleeting and unconscious — can affect thoughts and influence attention.
Brain folding typically begins at the end of the. second trimester of pregnancy and continues after birth. Hiroshi Watanabe/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Brain wrinkles and folds matter – researchers are studying the mechanics of how they form

Understanding how brain folding works could help researchers better diagnose and treat neurodevelopmental disorders.
Research groups supported by the U.S. BRAIN Initiative recently released the most comprehensive map of cell types in the motor cortex of humans, monkeys and mice. Andriy Onufriyenko/Moment via Getty Images

Mapping how the 100 billion cells in the brain all fit together is the brave new world of neuroscience

Scientists have been mapping the brain for centuries. New visualization tools bring them one step closer to understanding where thoughts come from and new ways to treat neurological disorders.
David Julius, one of the two recipients of the 2021 medicine Nobel Prize, used the active component in chile peppers to study how the brain senses heat. Anton Eine/EyeEm via Getty Images

The 2021 Nobel Prize for medicine helps unravel mysteries about how the body senses temperature and pressure

The joint award recognizes the long road to deciphering the biology behind the brain’s ability to sense its surroundings – work that paves the way for a number of medical and biological breakthroughs.
The colors in this microscope photo of a fruit fly brain show different types of neurons and the cells that surround them in the brain. Sarah DeGenova Ackerman

Astrocyte cells in the fruit fly brain are an on-off switch that controls when neurons can change and grow

Adaptable neurons are tied to learning and memory but also to neurological disorders. By studying fruit flies, researchers found a mechanism that controls neuroplasticity.
Medical treatments involving neurostimulation, or cerebral electromagnetic stimulation, are resurfacing and appear to be more effective than drugs for treating depression. Shutterstock

Neurostimulation may herald a new treatment for depression

Medical treatments involving neurostimulation are resurfacing and appear to be more effective than drugs in treating depression.

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