Category: General Neuroscience

Cognition

The Physiological Nature of ASMR in Relation to the Pupil

Panayiota Siskos ’23 Studies have defined ASMR as static-like tingling sensations felt on the skin associated with relaxation and positive feelings, and often start from the back of the head and expand down the spine, and sometimes to the limbs. However, not everyone experiences this, and there is debate regarding whether it is an actual existing phenomenon or if expectancy manipulates influence. Due to its … Continue reading The Physiological Nature of ASMR in Relation to the Pupil

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General Neuroscience

Population decoding highlights functional organization of mouse brain

Vignesh Subramanian ’24 Neural coding is the study of how neurons conduct information processing, with the aim of identifying relationships between stimuli and neuronal responses by examining electrical activity. One particular coding scheme, commonly known as population coding, involves generating spatiotemporal representations of activity in clusters of cells as opposed to individual cells. When such representations are mapped onto global topographic organization of an organism’s … Continue reading Population decoding highlights functional organization of mouse brain

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Brain

Response Inhibition Control in Migraineurs

Wendy Wu ’22 Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by frequent headaches, particularly prevalent in women. Much research has gone into identifying the causes of migraines with the hope of increasing preventative measures and developing treatment. Although evidence suggests that migraines are caused by an imbalance of cortical excitatory and inhibitory processes, there is little empirical data of actual pathophysiological features underlying response inhibition in … Continue reading Response Inhibition Control in Migraineurs

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Neuroscience

Lower reaction levels in mothers to their child result in insensitive parenting

Joyce Chen ’23 A mother’s greatest task is to provide a nurturing environment for her child to grow, blossom, and thrive in. The absence of maternal love in a child’s life will cause a strain on the bond between the mother and her child. These neglectful mothers, also known as high-risk mothers, have insensitive reactions to their children’s needs. They rarely respond to their children’s … Continue reading Lower reaction levels in mothers to their child result in insensitive parenting

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Neuroscience

Circadian rhythm directly influences muscle performance in Olympic swimmers

Joyce Chen ’23 Organisms have a specialized inner clock known as the circadian rhythm, which is regulated by the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus of the brain. Throughout the day, circadian rhythms in the body have direct control over physiological functions, including muscle strength and flexibility. Despite its relevance, there is a lack of research on the effects of circadian rhythms on Olympic athletes. … Continue reading Circadian rhythm directly influences muscle performance in Olympic swimmers

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Cognition

Monkey Behavior Aids In Understanding Human Cognition

Yukta Kulkarni ’22 The human brain’s prefrontal cortex plays an important role in cognitive behavior. It contains several sections including the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC), which is associated with working memory, reasoning, and planning; and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), which directs reversal and reinforcement learning, reward evaluation, and alternative option evaluation.  These structures are also present in animals and have similar functions. To learn more … Continue reading Monkey Behavior Aids In Understanding Human Cognition

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General Neuroscience

Music to One’s Ears: Familiarity and Music Engagement in People With Parkinson’s Disease

Thumyat Noe ’23 Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder characterized by loss of dopamine and reduced innervation of neural structures that are responsible for coordination of motor movements. Affected individuals often have difficulty walking and maintaining balance. However, music has been shown to be a helpful external cue that reduces these symptoms. Research shows that exposure to music activates brain regions that are closely related … Continue reading Music to One’s Ears: Familiarity and Music Engagement in People With Parkinson’s Disease

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General Neuroscience

Compartmental function and modulation of the striatum

Sabah Bari ‘24 The striatum is one of the main input areas of the basal ganglia, a neuronal circuit necessary for voluntary movement control. It is a critical component of motor control, action selection and reward systems within the brain. Almost all elements of the brain’s reward circuit are modulated during social behavior. The striatum has two main efferent pathways. There are 2 main efferent … Continue reading Compartmental function and modulation of the striatum

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General Neuroscience

Going to College Can Delay Alzheimer’s Disease Onset

Ayesha Azeem ‘23 Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible brain disorder that progresses to destroy memory and thinking skills until one fails to complete basic tasks. Alzheimer’s most commonly begins to affect people in their mid-60s, and is currently the third leading cause of death for the elderly in the United States (NIH). A recent study conducted by Stony Brook University researchers revealed that attending college … Continue reading Going to College Can Delay Alzheimer’s Disease Onset

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Brain

Creation of Images by Detecting brain activity via Neuroadaptive Generative Modeling

Sooraj Shah ’24 The relationship between humans and technology is one which advanced the world to where it is today. By physically pressing a few buttons, we are able to express our thoughts and ideas onto a digital screen. However, this might not always be the case. Researchers at the University of Helsinki have developed neuroadaptive generative modeling, in which a computer creates a visual … Continue reading Creation of Images by Detecting brain activity via Neuroadaptive Generative Modeling

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Neuroscience

Effect of Mutation in NMDA Receptor Proteins resulting in Neurological Disorders

Sooraj Shah ’24 Neurological disorders affect 25 million people in the United States, which makes the study of NMDA receptors increasingly important. NMDA receptors are key contributors to regulation of memory and behavior in the human brain. NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor proteins are transmembrane proteins, and are in a subset of Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs), which contain 4 helices, the most significant of which is the … Continue reading Effect of Mutation in NMDA Receptor Proteins resulting in Neurological Disorders

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General Neuroscience

Developmental History Skews Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

Vignesh Subramanian ’24 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that, alongside related dementias, afflicts nearly 50 million people worldwide with incidence rates increasing with age. Alzheimer’s is particularly debilitating in areas of language and memory, contributing to progressive cognitive decline that is frequently diagnosed using neuropsychological tests evaluating recall, visual processing and executive function. Yet while such assessments are meant to ascertain whether patients … Continue reading Developmental History Skews Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

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