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Six black-and-white MRI images of a brain at different cross-sections.
Is DIANA fMRI Data Real?
New preprints failed to reproduce the buzzy new neuroimaging technique DIANA fMRI, but its inventor remains steadfast.
Is DIANA fMRI Data Real?
Is DIANA fMRI Data Real?

New preprints failed to reproduce the buzzy new neuroimaging technique DIANA fMRI, but its inventor remains steadfast.

New preprints failed to reproduce the buzzy new neuroimaging technique DIANA fMRI, but its inventor remains steadfast.

fMRI, neuroscience

fMRI scan of two brains
New Brain Network Connecting Mind and Body Discovered
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Apr 19, 2023 | 4 min read
A new brain network responsible for complex movements may upend what we know about neural maps in primary motor areas
a hand reaches towards a pack of cigarettes
Newly Identified Neural Signature of Drug Craving Could Predict Drug Use
Katherine Irving | Jan 11, 2023 | 4 min read
The signature could one day be used to improve treatment planning for people with substance abuse disorders.
The Scientist Speaks - Into the Mind of Human’s Best Friend: Using fMRI to Study Canine Cognition
Niki Spahich, PhD | 1 min read
Gregory Berns discusses training dogs to undergo fMRI scans to better understand their brains.
woman entering MRI machine on platform
Researchers Report Decoding Thoughts from fMRI Data
Grace van Deelen | Oct 20, 2022 | 5 min read
A method appears to be the first to noninvasively reconstruct language from brain activity.
Images from a novel brain imaging technique, DIANA
New MRI Technique Tracks Brain Activity at Millisecond Timescales
Catherine Offord | Oct 14, 2022 | 4 min read
The method, dubbed “DIANA,” could transform neuroscientists’ understanding of how the brain works, researchers say—though for now, it’s only been tested in anesthetized mice.
The Scientist Speaks Podcast – Episode 5
The Scientist | 1 min read
Unusually Wired: Human Brains are Attuned to Appreciate Musical Pitch
Artistic representation of a brain depicted as a clock on a background with one half in dark blue with yellow stars and one half in light blue with clouds.
Which Neurons Go to Sleep First in Humans? fMRI Can Tell
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Aug 9, 2022 | 3 min read
By linking blood flow patterns to bioelectric signals in the brains of sleeping volunteers, scientists are studying the order in which brain regions fall asleep and wake up.
Illustration of brain activity
Same Parts of the Brain Control Processing of Dozens of Languages
Andy Carstens | Jul 21, 2022 | 4 min read
While much is known about how the brains of English speakers process language, research has neglected people who speak other languages. The Scientist spoke with one of the authors of a study that seeks to change that.
Grey and white stones on a wooden plank
Eight Weeks of Meditation Doesn’t Change the Brain, Study Finds
Natalia Mesa, PhD | May 20, 2022 | 4 min read
Study finds that, contrary to what other research has found, a popular meditation course does not appear to alter brain structure.
illustration of multiple brain scan images
Power Shortages Dim Results of Many Neuroimaging Studies
Angie Voyles Askham, Spectrum | Mar 17, 2022 | 4 min read
Low participant numbers render the results of many studies based on brain scans unreliable, an analysis finds.
Cute sleeping newborn baby child on mother hands stock photo
Exposure to Chemical from Babies Linked to Aggression
Chloe Tenn | Nov 22, 2021 | 3 min read
A study finds that the odorless compound hexadecanal, or HEX, increases aggressive behavior in women but has a calming effect on men.
A woman in a colorful blouse smiles in front of a blurred background of books on shelves
Darby Saxbe Digs into Relationships’ Effects on Human Biology
Shawna Williams | Aug 1, 2021 | 3 min read
In her current work, the University of Southern California psychologist is examining how the transition to fatherhood affects men’s brains.
A series of brain scans on a black background
How Scientists Are Tackling Brain Imaging’s Replication Problem
Angie Voyles Askham, Spectrum | Jul 9, 2021 | 6 min read
Researchers who spoke with Spectrum say that while brain imaging tools have their limitations, they still hold promise in helping to unlock the brain’s secrets. 
Non-Concussive Head Hits Influence the Brain’s Microstructure
Lisa Winter | Oct 1, 2020 | 2 min read
Comparing the brain scans of high-impact rugby players with those of athletes in noncontact sports, such as rowing and swimming, revealed tiny, yet significant, differences in the brain’s white matter.
Curiosity and Hunger Are Driven by the Same Brain Regions
Shawna Williams | Oct 1, 2020 | 4 min read
Researchers tease out the effects of the two cravings by having participants gamble for the chance to satisfy them.
fear, anxiety, fMRI, study, neural circuits, brain study, neuroscience, amygdala, BNST
Brain Circuitry for Fear and Anxiety Is the Same on fMRI
Amanda Heidt | Sep 21, 2020 | 5 min read
A study in people fails to detect differences in the brain’s response to fear or anxiety, long thought to be controlled by different neural circuits.
a cartoon of a human head with arrows going in different directions and speech bubble that say "yes!" and "no!"
Research Teams Reach Different Results From Same Brain-Scan Data
Ruth Williams | May 20, 2020 | 4 min read
When 70 independent teams were tasked with analyzing identical brain images, no two teams chose the same approach and their conclusions were highly variable.
Study Probes Brain Activity in Survivors of Paris Terror Attacks
Jef Akst | May 1, 2020 | 5 min read
Those who had developed PTSD appear to be less able to suppress unwanted memories—traumatic or not—suggesting a role for the general ability to control memory recall in the disorder.
Alternate Activation of Two Brain Systems Tied to Consciousness
Ruth Williams | Mar 12, 2020 | 3 min read
Imaging reveals how cyclical patterns of brain activity differ between conscious and unresponsive individuals.
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