You know how some brain cells, called dopamine neurons, send signals by releasing dopamine? Well, these neurons have two main types of activity: regular, low-frequency signals (tonic) that they produce on their own, and quick bursts (phasic) that happen when they get inputs from other cells. Scienti
Researchers wanted to understand how the brain's network changes affect seizure relapse when people stop taking their seizure medication. They looked at 24 people who stayed seizure-free (SF-group), 22 who had seizures again (SR-group), and 46 healthy individuals (Control group). They used brain sca
Imagine wearing a hat that can read your brain waves at work. Sounds futuristic, right? But this is already happening! Scientists are using brain monitoring to boost productivity and safety on the job. They're trying to understand how our brains work best at work. This isn't like sci-fi movies. It's
Brain tumors can mess up the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is like a protective fence around blood vessels in the brain. Currently, doctors rely on their eyes and a special brain scan called DSC MRI to see if the BBB is damaged. However, this method might miss subtle issues and can't be used on p
Every year, over 60 million people face traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), leading to significant health issues and even death. Managing these injuries is tough, with a heavy toll on individuals and society. For the past couple of decades, there's been a rise in clinical trials focusing on neurocriti
Have you ever felt like you recognize someone you've never met before? Scientists have found out something amazing about our brains. They can make us think we know someone we've only seen once or not at all. In experiments, people were shown faces just once or several times. Guess what? They could s
You might not think about it when you're looking at a microscope slide, but making histology slides can release tiny plastic particles into the environment. These microplastics (MPs) are showing up in every corner of the earth, from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains. And guess what? They'r
Brain metastases, the most common malignant tumors in the brain, pose a challenge for doctors trying to differentiate between recurring cancer and changes due to treatment. To address this, several prominent medical organizations have teamed up to create a new guideline. This guideline revolves arou
Half a century ago, the medical community got a game-changer. Sir Graham Teasdale and Bryan Jennett introduced the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) in The Lancet. They wanted a clear, easy-to-use tool to rate coma levels. Back then, doctors used different words for consciousness. It was confusing. The GCS c
Ever wondered how people make decisions? It turns out, our brains use a clever trick called the Successor Representation (SR). This trick helps us avoid the hassle of imagining every little step into the future. Instead, our brains group future states together and make predictions over multiple step
