Lifeboat Foundation

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems have long drawn inspiration from the intricacies of the human brain. Now, a groundbreaking branch of research led by Columbia University in New York seeks to unravel the workings of living brains and enhance their function by leveraging advancements in AI.

Designated by the National Science Foundation as one of seven universities serving as the headquarters for a new national AI research institute, Columbia University received a substantial $20 million grant to bolster the AI Institute for Artificial and Natural Intelligence (ARNI). ARNI is a consortium comprising educational institutions and research groups, with Columbia at the helm. The overarching goal of ARNI is to forge connections between the remarkable progress achieved in AI systems and the ongoing revolution in our understanding of the brain.

Richard Zemel, a professor of computer science at Columbia, explained that the aim is to foster a cross-disciplinary collaboration between leading AI and neuroscience researchers, yielding mutual benefits for AI systems and human beings alike. Zemel emphasized that the exchange of knowledge flows in both directions, with AI systems drawing inspiration from the brain while neural networks in turn bear loose resemblances to its structure.

A new drug that is in a phase 3 clinical trial has proven effective at preventing the growth of lower-grade brain tumors, with doctors saying nearly half of the patients in the trial haven’t needed chemotherapy or radiation years later. NBC News’ Lindsey Reiser has the details on the treatment.

Servier’s drug vorasidenib helped glioma patients stave off cancer growth.

Mindfulness-based awareness training can help people learn to better control brain-computer interfaces. But a new study has found that a single guided mindfulness meditation exercise isn’t enough to boost performance. The findings, published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, suggest that a longer period of meditation is needed in order for people to experience observable improvements.

The authors of the research are interested in exploring the potential benefits of using mindfulness meditation as a training tool to improve the performance of brain-computer interfaces, which allow individuals to control machines or computers directly from their brain, bypassing the traditional neuromuscular pathway. These devices have the potential to greatly benefit people with conditions such as spinal cord injuries, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Previous studies have shown that one of the most effective signals for brain-computer interface control is the sensorimotor rhythm produced in the primary sensorimotor areas during motor imagery. However, not everyone is able to effectively control brain-computer interfaces, with approximately 20% of the population being “BCI-inefficient” even with extensive training. Therefore, researchers are looking for ways to improve performance, and one potential method is through meditation.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who last year described himself as “fairly nocturnal,” is known for his history of working through the night and even sleeping beneath his desk to meet deadlines. Recently, however, he revealed that he is endeavoring to secure at least six hours of sleep every night.

In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Musk said, “I’ve tried to sleep less, but even though I’m awake more hours, I get less done. And the brain pain level is bad if I get less than six hours of sleep per night.”

Musk said he often works seven days per week and only takes “two or three” truly workless vacation days yearly. However, he said he doesn’t expect his employees to model that behavior.

Do intelligent people think faster? Researchers at the BIH and Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, together with a colleague from Barcelona, made the surprising finding that participants with higher intelligence scores were only quicker when tackling simple tasks, while they took longer to solve difficult problems than subjects with lower IQ scores.

In personalized brain simulations of the 650 participants, the researchers could determine that brains with reduced synchrony between brain areas literally “jump to conclusions” when making decisions, rather than waiting until upstream brain regions could complete the processing steps needed to solve the problem.

In fact, the brain models for higher score participants also needed more time to solve challenging tasks but made fewer errors. The scientists have now published their findings in the journal Nature Communications.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=9G1iRUI8ip8

Neuralink Corp. has been cleared by the FDA to start human trials for its medical technology — and there’s no shortage of potential volunteers.

A new study suggests that astrocytes, a type of brain cell, are important for connecting amyloid-β with the early stages of tau pathology, which could change how we define early Alzheimer’s disease.

Crispre cas 9.

A major issue in neuroscience is the poor translatability of research results from preclinical studies in animals to clinical outcomes. Comparative neuroscience can overcome this barrier by studying multiple species to differentiate between species-specific and general mechanisms of neural circuit functioning. Targeted manipulation of neural circuits often depends on genetic dissection, and use of this technique has been restricted to only a few model species, limiting its application in comparative research. However, ongoing advances in genomics make genetic dissection attainable in a growing number of species. To demonstrate the potential of comparative gene editing approaches, we developed a viral-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 strategy that is predicted to target the oxytocin receptor (Oxtr) gene in 80 rodent species. This strategy specifically reduced OXTR levels in all evaluated species (n = 6) without causing gross neuronal toxicity. Thus, we show that CRISPR/Cas9-based tools can function in multiple species simultaneously. Thereby, we hope to encourage comparative gene editing and improve the translatability of neuroscientific research.

The development of comparative gene editing strategies improves the translatability of animal research.