Blog – Page 4117

The motor cortex controls the voluntary movement of muscles. It remains largely unclear why its electrical or magnetic stimulation can alleviate therapy-resistant chronic pain—albeit unreliably. An interdisciplinary research group at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg (MFHD) has now tracked down the underlying mechanisms and nerve pathways in mice.

The scientists showed that certain nerve pathways of the motor cerebral cortex are indirectly connected to the emotion centers in the brain, process both pain-related information and emotions by direct activation, and thus reduce the sensation of pain. Consequently, the team not only defines a new brain circuit for neurostimulation in pain therapy, but also brings the brain’s own reward system into focus as a starting point for future treatments. The results are now published in the journal Science.

The research was conducted within the framework of CRC1158 “From Nociception to Chronic Pain,” whose spokesperson is Professor Dr. Rohini Kuner, Director of the Institute of Pharmacology at the MFHD.

Mini brains grown in a lab from stem cells spontaneously developed rudimentary eye structures, scientists reported in a fascinating 2021 paper.

On tiny, human-derived brain organoids grown in dishes, two bilaterally symmetrical optic cups were seen to grow, mirroring the development of eye structures in human embryos. This incredible result could help us to better understand the process of eye differentiation and development, as well as eye diseases.

“Our work highlights the remarkable ability of brain organoids to generate primitive sensory structures that are light sensitive and harbor cell types similar to those found in the body,” said neuroscientist Jay Gopalakrishnan of University Hospital Düsseldorf in Germany in a 2021 statement.