Researchers at Western University have used neuroimaging to read human thought via brain activity when they are conveying specific “yes” or “no” answers.
Their findings were published today in The Journal of Neuroscience in a study titled, “The Brain’s Silent Messenger: Using Selective Attention to Decode Human Thought for Brain-Based Communication.” Continue reading
Using brain imaging, researchers at Western University and Queen’s University have revealed new insights into how the human brain supports the use of everyday tools like plastic tongs. Continue reading
Research opens door to new drug therapies for Parkinson’s disease
McGill University researchers have unlocked a new door to developing drugs to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Collaborating teams led by Dr. Edward A. Fon at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital -The Neuro, and Dr. Kalle Gehring in the Department of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine, have discovered the three-dimensional structure of the protein Parkin. Continue reading
Nature paper: Discovery of a region of the brain that allows the mouse to coordinate breathing and whisking
Mice explore their environment by sniffing and whisking more than 700 times per minute. These motor commands must be perfectly synchronized in the brain. Continue reading
A team of researchers at the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) have discovered that adult brain cell production might be determined, in part, by the early parental environment. The study suggests that dual parenting may be more beneficial than single parenting. Continue reading
Dr. Tomáš Paus, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and Senior Scientist at The Rotman Research Institute has published a new reference book entitled “Population Neuroscience”, a topic he presented in the Presidential lecture at the 2012 Canadian Neuroscience Meeting in Vancouver. Continue reading
A new study reveals what happens in our brain when we decide to purchase a piece of music when we hear it for the first time. The study, conducted at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro, McGill University and published in the journal Science on April 12, pinpoints the specific brain activity that makes new music rewarding and predicts the decision to purchase music. Continue reading
Discovering key spinal cord circuits – Professor and neurosurgeon Dr. Rob Brownstone and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Tuan Bui have identified the spinal cord circuit that controls the hands’ ability to grasp.
The world’s leading neuroscience journal, Neuron, published the breakthrough finding in its latest issue. Continue reading
Research from Western University and Lawson Health Research Institute sheds new light on a gene called ATRX and its function in the brain and pituitary. Children born with ATRX syndrome have cognitive defects and developmental abnormalities. Continue reading
In the first large-scale review of 400 research papers in the neurochemistry of music, a team led by Prof. Daniel J. Levitin of McGill University’s Psychology Dept. has been able to show that playing and listening to music has clear benefits for both mental and physical health. Continue reading