-
Researchers find way to speed up nerve regrowth
A University of Alberta researcher has found a treatment that increases the speed of nerve regeneration by three to five times, which may one day lead to much better outcomes for trauma surgery patients.
-
研究发现加速神经生长的新方法
在肢体神经移植的过程中，时间是决定成败的一个关键因素。如果神经不能以足够快的速度生长至指定肌肉位置，那么移植就会失败。这也是为什么下肢远端神经移植比上肢神经移植成功率低的原因。而该研究则发现，在进行移植前一周花一小时以20赫兹的频率刺激所需移植的神经可以使其在移植后的生长速度快上3-5倍。虽然此次的研究只进行了将胫神经束移至腓总神经残端以治疗足下垂的实验，但据称，这种电刺激法可适用于周围神经系统中的任何部位。使用该方法我们就可以以人为的手段扩大神经再生的无限潜力。
-
“Jumping” DNA regulates human neurons
The human genome contains over 4.5 million sequences of DNA called “transposable elements”, these virus-like entities that “jump” around and help regulate gene expression. They do this by binding transcription factors, which are proteins that regulate the rate of transcription of DNA to RNA, influencing gene expression in a broad range of biological events.
-
A tailor-made molecule that ties nerve connections
Synthetic compound could serve as prototype for a novel class of drugs to treat neurological damage.Researchers from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), UK and Japan have developed a neurologically acting protein and tested it in laboratory studies. In mice, the experimental compound ameliorated symptoms of certain neurological injuries and diseases, while on the […]
-
Researchers Discover a Specific Brain Circuit Damaged by Social Isolation During Childhood
Loneliness is recognized as a serious threat to mental health. Even as our world becomes increasingly connected over digital platforms, young people in our society are feeling a growing sense of isolation. The COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many countries to implement social distancing and school closures, magnifies the need for understanding the mental health consequences […]
-
How brain flexibility emerges in infants
Scientists say they’ve discovered that cognitive flexibility, a critical higher order brain function, starts developing during the first two years of life.Having cognitive flexibility – the mental capacity to switch between different concepts – is associated with better reading ability, academic achievement, resilience and creativity, while less mental suppleness is linked to risk of neurological […]
-
Neurons protect themselves from degeneration by adapting their metabolism
A recent study in Science Advances by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Max Planck Institute, shows that neurons can counteract degeneration and promote survival by adapting their metabolism. It challenges the long-standing view that neurons cannot adjust their metabolism and therefore irreversibly degenerate. These findings may contribute to developing therapeutic approaches for patients with mitochondrial […]
-
大脑的人脸识别机制与机器无异
脑胼胝体压部的损伤会造成一种叫做半边面部识别变性症的疾病，得了这种病的患者在看人脸的时候会发现对方的半边脸像融化了一样。无论对人脸图像进行怎样的转动，总是同一半边的脸部出现问题，且这种现象只会发生在人脸识别上，对其他事物的辨识无分毫影响。由此可以得出，该病只影响到了大脑内负责处理面部信息的部位，且人脑对面容信息的识别与处理是独立于视角与方向的，左右脸的解析也分区域进行。在看到人脸时，我们的大脑会自动对其进行调整。无论是大是小，脸孔是否被翻转，都会被规范到一个可用来与原始面容信息做比较的基准值。这种处理方式同机器在进行人脸识别时的方法可谓是如出一辙。该发现模糊了机器与人的界线，证实AI可完美复刻人的部分认知功能和模式。
-
环境光线和头部运动影响视觉感知
感受机体平衡状况的前庭系统会将头部的运动信息传递到视觉皮层，以帮助我们辨别视野变化是否是由自身运动所造成的。这种信息传递与对视觉皮层的影响作用被证实会受环境光线所左右。当我们处于光亮中时，头部运动信号会加强V1视觉皮层的活跃性，而在黑暗环境中时，头部运动信号反而会抑制V1区域的活跃性。除这一发现外，该团队还找到了一种简称为SOM的神经元，通过整合前庭信号与光信号对此机制进行调控。这项研究揭露了环境因素具体是如何对视觉感知造成影响的。
-
记忆原理新解：神经元的适应性放电
传统理论认为工作记忆的维持意味着持续性的神经放电，然而该研究却发现短期记忆可以被理解成一种神经元根据既往输入信号不断调整兴奋性和放电频率的适应性行为。像是记忆干扰就是由神经适应情况的持续所造成的，而记忆容量则取决于适应行为的时间常数及神经产生动作电位所需的基准值。这一基于内在可塑性机制的新记忆模型除了可用以解释以上这类记忆相关概念外，还可以完美解释我们是如何在工作记忆中处理复杂语言信息的。该研究加深了我们对记忆存储以及语言处理原理的理解，对基于神经理论的新型AI的研发亦有一定的启发性作用。