A chart from a study plots bursts of brain waves of varying frequency at specific times. The bursts are represented as warm colors against a the blue background. When there are low frequency bursts there aren't high frequency bursts and vice versa.
April 23, 2024
In the brain, bursts of beta rhythms implement cognitive control
A black and white brain shown in profile is decorated with red light bulbs on its surface. In one spot, a stencil for making the light bulbs, labeled "beta," is present. Nearby is a can of red spray paint labeled "gamma" with a little wave on it.
April 17, 2024
Paper: To understand cognition—and its dysfunction—neuroscientists must learn its rhythms
Two panels show diagonal streaks of green stained brain blood vessels over a background of blue cells. The green staining is much brighter in the left panel than in the right.
March 22, 2024
Movement disorder ALS and cognitive disorder FTLD show strong molecular overlaps, new study shows
A hand wearing a blue latex glove holds up a cell phone showing the image of a red-stained neuron
March 15, 2024
Livestreaming the Brain
Two panels on a black background show cells on the left lit brightly in green while the cells on the right show much less green and are mostly red.
March 6, 2024
A noninvasive treatment for “chemo brain”

‘Spatial Computing’ enables flexible working memory

March 15, 2023
Research Findings
Brain applies rhythms to physical patches of the cortex to selectively control just the right neurons at the right times to do the right things.

3 questions for Mriganka Sur: The basic research origin of the first approved drug to treat Rett syndrome

March 10, 2023
On March 10 the FDA approved Trofinetide, a drug based on the protein IGF-1, as the first drug available to treat Rett syndrome. The original research showing that IGF-1 could treat Rett syndrome was published by MIT in 2009.

Astrocyte cells critical for learning skilled movements

March 10, 2023
Research Findings
When astrocyte function is disrupted, neurons in the brain’s motor cortex struggle to execute and refine motion, a new study in mice shows.

Immune & Inflamed

March 1, 2023
Research Feature
Neuroscientists are finding that immune system activity within the brain and the body has important impacts on mental health and behavior

Picower Fellows discuss the social context of their science

February 14, 2023
Picower People
Young neuroscientists contributed their perspectives as the MIT Museum works to create a potential ‘Center for Neuroscience & Society’

Sparse, small, but diverse neural connections help make perception reliable, efficient

February 2, 2023
Research Findings
First detailed mapping and modeling of thalamus inputs onto visual cortex neurons show brain leverages “wisdom of the crowd” to process sensory information

Researchers map brain cell changes in Alzheimer’s disease

February 2, 2023
Study reveals key cell structures and gene expression changes near amyloid plaques and tau tangles in mouse brain tissue

How Huntington’s disease affects different neurons

January 20, 2023
Research Findings
A new study identifies cells that are the most vulnerable within a brain structure involved in mood and movement

Self-assembling proteins can store cellular “memories”

January 10, 2023
Research Findings
Using these engineered proteins, researchers can record histories that reveal when certain genes are activated or how cells respond to a drug.

New technologies revealing cross-cutting breakdowns in Alzheimer’s disease

January 2, 2023
Research Findings
‘Single-cell profiling’ is helping neuroscientists see how disease affects major brain cell types and identify common, potentially targetable pathways

Holding information in mind may mean storing it among synapses

December 29, 2022
Research Findings
Comparing models of working memory with real-world data, MIT researchers found that information resides not in persistent neural activity, but in the pattern of their connections

Small studies of 40Hz sensory stimulation confirm safety, suggest Alzheimer’s benefits

December 1, 2022
Research Findings
MIT researchers report early stage clinical study results of tests with non-invasive 40Hz light and sound treatment