Neurobiology

Image by Don W. Pottle This is an image of crystals of aspirin with caffeine.   An Excedrin tablet was crushed in water and allowed to dissolve.   Drops of the solution were placed on a glass microscope slide and allowed to dry.  Examining and…

As your eyes close, a kaleidoscopic vision of pattern, color, and sense of deep meaning engulfs your entire field of experience. Thirty minutes ago you were given a controlled dose of a highly potent, and highly illegal, hallucinogenic compound—all in…

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder in which symptoms of dementia worsen over time, is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Although there is currently no cure, one study recently claimed that manipulating levels of a…

Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs – the hot new word for concussions) often transition from minor/temporary injuries to major/long-term problems when multiple head traumas occur before the brain fully recovers. The current methods for diagnosis…

Gliobastoma (astrocytoma) WHO grade IV – MRI sagittal view, post contrast. By Christaras A via Creative Commons Treating glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) – the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer – is notoriously difficult. In…

(A response to ‘Alzheimer’s Disease Discovery Leads To Nobel Prize‘ and other similar articles) Activities of 8 place cells recorded while the rat ran back and forth through along the track. Each dot is an action potential, and each color…

The fundamental nature of memory has eluded philosophers and scientists for over two millennia.  As early as 350 B.C., Aristotle conjectured that the mind was like a blank wax tablet, or tabula rasa, imprinted with one’s experiences but only made…

Presented by Yuly Fuentes-Medel Model organism systems amenable to genetic manipulation have made seminal contributions to many aspects of modern science. These organisms with small brains have inspired the discoveries of big ideas in such complex…

“The Future of Brain Implants”, psychologist Gary Marcus and neuroscientist Christof Koch took one step further, unfolding a future where a chip can be implanted into healthy brains to achieve superpower. Although there are still technical hurdles and…

Just a few weeks ago, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to three scientists: Dr. Randy Schekman, Dr. Thomas Südhof, and Dr. James Rothman. These three men were rewarded for their work on a curious organism we encounter in our everyday…