00:00 Intro. 00:20 José Delgado’s beginnings with BCIs. 00:42 Use of BCI to reduce aggression. 00:57 How the brain and nerve cells work. 03:00 Stimulation of brain areas (motor cortex) 03:51 How Utah arrays works! 05:16 Measurement of voltage peaks (spikes) 06:06 How the Neuralink N1 works! 08:20 How the Stentrode by Synchron works! 09:40 The future of exoskeletons. 09:53 Are we becoming machines ourselves?
New in JNeurosci: Klein et al. characterized changes in the brain as people age and discovered that neural changes in teenagers may predict how decision-making and behavioral control develop.
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Seminal studies in animal neuroscience demonstrate that frontostriatal circuits exhibit a ventral-dorsal functional gradient to integrate neural functions related to reward processing and cognitive control. Prominent neurodevelopmental models posit that heightened reward-seeking and risk-taking during adolescence result from maturational imbalances between frontostriatal neural systems underlying reward processing and cognitive control. The present study investigated whether the development of ventral (VS) and dorsal (DS) striatal resting-state connectivity (rsFC) networks along this proposed functional gradient relates to putative imbalances between reward and executive systems posited by a dual neural systems theory of adolescent development. 163 participants aged 11–25 years (54% female, 90% white) underwent resting scans at baseline and biennially thereafter, yielding 339 scans across four assessment waves. We observed developmental increases in VS rsFC with brain areas implicated in reward processing (e.g., subgenual cingulate gyrus and medial orbitofrontal cortex) and concurrent decreases with areas implicated in executive function (e.g., ventrolateral and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices). DS rsFC exhibited the opposite pattern. More rapid developmental increases in VS rsFC with reward areas were associated with developmental improvements in reward-based decision making, whereas increases in DS rsFC with executive function areas were associated with improved executive function, though each network exhibited some crossover in function. Collectively, these findings suggest that typical adolescent neurodevelopment is characterized by a divergence in ventral and dorsal frontostriatal connectivity that may relate to developmental improvements in affective decision-making and executive function.
Significance Statement Anatomical studies in nonhuman primates demonstrate that frontostriatal circuits are essential for integration of neural functions underlying reward processing and cognition, with human neuroimaging studies linking alterations in these circuits to psychopathology. The present study characterized the developmental trajectories of frontostriatal resting state networks from childhood to young adulthood. We demonstrate that ventral and dorsal aspects of the striatum exhibit distinct age-related changes that predicted developmental improvements in reward-related decision making and executive function. These results highlight that adolescence is characterized by distinct changes in frontostriatal networks that may relate to normative increases in risk-taking. Atypical developmental trajectories of frontostriatal networks may contribute to adolescent-onset psychopathology.
Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Sabine (@SabineHossenfelder) argues that superdeterminism eliminates free will, challenging the idea of causal choice and possibly undermining science if the laws of physics govern all phenomena. However, inspired by daily life experiences in Southern California, I present a defense of indeterminism, countering the claim that everything is predetermined, while also exploring the ideas of cosmologists Raphael Bousso and Alan Guth.
Sabine Hossenfelder, a theoretical physicist, has argued in favor of superdeterminism, a theory that suggests the universe is deterministic and that our choices are predetermined.
According to her, the apparent randomness in quantum mechanics is an illusion, and the universe is actually a predetermined, clockwork-like system. She claims that if we knew enough about the initial conditions of the universe, we could predict every event, including human decisions.
Hossenfelder’s argument relies on the idea that the randomness in quantum mechanics is not fundamental, but rather a result of our lack of knowledge about the underlying variables. She suggests that if we could access these “hidden variables,” we would find that the universe is deterministic. However, this argument is flawed.
For example, consider the double-slit experiment, where particles passing through two slits create an interference pattern on a screen. Hossenfelder would argue that the particles’ behavior is predetermined, and that the apparent randomness is due to our lack of knowledge about the initial conditions. However, this ignores the fact that the act of observation itself can change the outcome of the experiment, a phenomenon known as wave function collapse.
The eyes can reveal a lot about the health of our brain. Indeed, problems with the eyes can be one of the earliest signs of cognitive decline.
Our latest study shows that a loss of visual sensitivity can predict dementia 12 years before it is diagnosed.
Our research was based on 8,623 healthy people in Norfolk, England, who were followed up for many years. By the end of the study, 537 participants had developed dementia, so we could see what factors might have preceded this diagnosis.
Surprising research from Spain has demonstrated the uniqueness of human consciousness, as a team of scientists say they have shown how the humanbrain stores memories differently than other species.
Neurons in a human brain record information separate from context, allowing humans to process more complex and abstract information relationships than other species. Dr. Rodrigo Quian Quiroga, group leader of the Neural Mechanisms of Perception and Memory Research Group at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, led the groundbreaking research into human consciousness.
A novel cortical biomarker can accurately distinguish high and low pain-sensitive individuals and may predict the transition from acute to chronic pain.
Importance Biomarkers would greatly assist decision-making in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of chronic pain.
Objective To undertake analytical validation of a sensorimotor cortical biomarker signature for pain consisting of 2 measures: sensorimotor peak alpha frequency (PAF) and corticomotor excitability (CME).
Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study at a single center (Neuroscience Research Australia) recruited participants from November 2020 to October 2022 through notices placed online and at universities across Australia. Participants were healthy adults aged 18 to 44 years with no history of chronic pain or a neurological or psychiatric condition. Participants experienced a model of prolonged temporomandibular pain with outcomes collected over 30 days. Electroencephalography to assess PAF and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to assess CME were recorded on days 0, 2, and 5. Pain was assessed twice daily from days 1 through 30.
Molecular Nutrition In Health, Well-Being & Longevity — Dr. Courtney Millar, Ph.D. — Marcus Institute For Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife / Harvard Medical School
Dr. Millar is a research scientist devoted to improving health and well-being of older adults through dietary interventions and her current research aims to test the ability of anti-inflammatory dietary strategies that promote both physical and emotional well-being in older adults.
Dr. Millar received her PhD in molecular nutrition at the University of Connecticut, where she developed a deep understanding of the relationship between dietary bioactive components and metabolic disease.
Dr. Millar’s post-doctoral fellowship focused on training related to conducting both nutritional epidemiological analyses and clinical interventions.