neural activation

After injecting moderate doses of the dissociative anesthetic into the animals, previously “awake” brain cells go dark, and those that had been dormant suddenly light up.

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.

A new technique reveals cells’ precise locations and functions in the brain. Its developers have already used it to identify a previously unknown neuron type.

Some nerve cells in the brains of macaques respond selectively to particular numbers, hinting at a specialized pathway for extracting information about numerical quantity.

Researchers have identified specific cells and neuropeptides involved in mediating the sneeze response in mice exposed to allergens or chemical irritants such as capsaicin.

A mouse study identifies the brain regions and specific signaling factors that regulate the sneeze response.

Engineering an ultra-sensitive light-activated ion channel into brain cells allows for the control of neurons in live animals without a brain-implanted light source.

A combination of videography, machine learning, and brain imaging has identified facial expressions and neural activity patterns in mice that are associated with their emotions.

Suppressing the natural age-related increase in neuronal excitation lengthens the lives of worms, and there are indications that the same may be true for mice and humans.

The drugs lead to widespread, predictable changes in brain waves that can help anesthesiologists personalize anesthesia and develop anesthetic-based treatments.

Researchers record neurological changes in a region called the mushroom body in the brains of bees completing a maze in a virtual environment.

Scientists have proposed a variety of features that influence one’s ability to remember things and solve problems.

Understanding how hallucinogenic drugs affect different neural networks could shed light on their therapeutic potential.

Using machine learning, researchers have created extensive maps of the neuronal circuits associated with social and locomotion behaviors in the fruit fly. 

A new technique allows researchers to rapidly and reversibly activate neurons with a magnetically sensitive protein.

Researchers have created a brain-wide map detailing links between sets of activated neurons and behaviors in fruit fly larvae.

For the first time, researchers visualize zebrafish memory retrieval in real time.