New in Neuroscience: How twitching in your sleep helps your brain develop

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New in Neuroscience: How twitching in your sleep helps your brain develop

Have you ever seen a puppy or infant twitching at night and wondered if he/she was having a nightmare? As worrisome as they may be, these sleep twitches, termed “myoclonic twitches”, are not exclusive to our bad dreams. In fact, many species exhibit these twitches, and an increasing amount of evidence suggests that they may play a more important role during development than occasionally disturbing our sleep.

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New in Neuroscience: Microglia in your brain put their trust in your gut

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New in Neuroscience: Microglia in your brain put their trust in your gut

Ancient humans often referred to the “bowels” as the seat of emotional experience. We now attribute higher functions such as thought and emotion exclusively to our brains, but the idea that what’s going on in your gut may control your instincts may actually have some biological credibility.

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New in Neuroscience: Do neurons gradually ramp or instantly step to a decision?

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New in Neuroscience: Do neurons gradually ramp or instantly step to a decision?

We make decisions from the moment we get up (what to eat for breakfast? what should I wear today?) until the moment we go to sleep (do I actually need to brush my teeth?). Decisions are important – some of them guide the course of our entire lives. How does our brain carry out this complex and highly important process?

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Neurotalk Season 5 Episode 1: Jie Shen on Alzheimer's and Presenilins

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Excited to present the first episode of the season!! In this episode, our guest is Jie Shen, a Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. We speak with her about her education in China, figuring out your true love for science (even if you're not yet sure!), and the role of presenilins in Alzheimer’s disease.

Stick with us next week for an interview on decision making with Anne Churchland, Asst. Professor at CSHL.

 

Check out the latest podcast on communication and the brain from our friends at UCSF's Carry the One Radio!

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Our friends at UCSF's Carry the One Radio have put together an awesome podcast, with a fresh new format.  The podcast team explores a single theme in Neuroscience, in this case, the brain and communication, and interviews three neuroscientists with diverse approaches to exploring this essential topic.  Check it out here:

“Brain Meets Word: The Neuroscience Behind Communication” Tongues, songbirds and perfect fifths, oh my! Seemingly disparate subjects yes, but remarkably similar nonetheless. In this episode, we investigate some of the far corners of the neuroscience behind communication! We start with a simple question: how does the human brain coordinate all of the muscles that allow us to speak? In part 2, we learn how male songbirds perfect their mating calls and how all the single birds respond. And finally, a neuroscientist/professional opera-singer tells us about the mystery of musicality, and the science behind becoming a great musician. Part One: “On the Tip of My Tongue” The human brain precisely controls numerous muscles when we speak, but scientists know very little about how exactly this happens... Our producers Ryan Jones and Kate Woronowicz talk with David Conant, a doctoral student in Dr. Edward Chang’s lab at the University of California - San Francisco, about how patients with epilepsy are helping us unravel this great mystery. Part Two: “A Bird Song to Remember” Spring is in the air and with it, a cacophony of bird songs. But these birds aren’t born knowing how to sing. It’s only after the brain goes through complex chemical dances that these males can attract their perfect mates. Listen to Peter Chisnell talk with Dr. Gregory Ball, neuroscientist at the University of Maryland, about how hormones refine male bird songs and in turn, how these songs change birds’ brains. Part Three: “The Sound of Music(ality)” Practice makes perfect, but is that all it takes to become a great musician? Lynn Wang talks to Dr. Indre Viskontas, neuroscientist and professional musician, about her research studying how musicality works. At the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Indre teaches “Training the Musical Brain,” a class where students learn how to practice basic music perceptual skills. In addition, she’s interested in understanding how elements such as emotion and expression make us better musicians.

Bite-sized Brain Science: The 30-Second Brain, reviewed

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Bite-sized Brain Science: The 30-Second Brain, reviewed

How does the brain produce thought? Where is memory encoded in the brain? How do we reconstruct images in our brain?

These are some brain questions that fascinate my neighbor Rob, who has studied engineering and now works in photonics. He has no background in neuroscience, but wants to learn about it. Sure, he has the Internet, but it's really a jungle out there. I think a compact book is always a better map to begin exploring uncharted territory, so I suggested him to check out the 30-Second Brain. Although brief on content, it is a book with a wide and riveting helicopter view of neuroscience.

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Concentrating to Jog Your Memory

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Concentrating to Jog Your Memory

What are the brain mechanisms at work when playing the children's game "Concentration"? Do adults benefit from playing it?

Kids seem to remember the tiniest of details from everywhere. But as adults we’ve all had our blurry moments – when all that information gets lost in the jungle of neurons and refuses to leave the tip o’ the tongue, driving us a little crazy. Tinkering with memory using simple card games and extensive brain training has been under the lens lately. But could a game like Concentration help you concentrate? Let’s find out.

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