Scientists propose that human consciousness evolved primarily for social survival, enabling better communication and interaction within communities, rather than just individual benefit, challenging traditional views on the evolution of subjective awareness.
Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) can translate a person’s brainwaves into action, but these devices are vulnerable to hacking.
Researchers led by the University of California, Irvine have discovered how the TREM2 R47H genetic mutation causes certain brain areas to develop abnormal protein clumps, called beta-amyloid plaques, associated with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Leveraging single-cell Merfish spatial transcriptomics technology, the team was able to profile the effects of the mutation across multiple cortical and subcortical brain regions, offering first-of-their-kind insights at the single-cell level.
The study, published in Molecular Psychiatry, compared the brains of normal mice and special mouse models that undergo changes like those in humans with Alzheimer’s.
Findings revealed that the TREM2 mutation led to divergent patterns of beta-amyloid plaque accumulation in various parts of the brain involved in higher-level functions such as memory, reasoning and speech. It also affected certain cell types and their gene expression near the plaques.
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Elon Musk says his startup Neuralink has implanted a brain chip into a second patient and plans to perform another eight trials later this year.
Almost half the electrodes are working… for now.
(THE CONVERSATION) Racism steals time from people’s lives – possibly because of the space it occupies in the mind.
Question Is racial discrimination associated with brain connectivity, and are alterations in deep brain functional connectivity associated with accelerated epigenetic aging?
Findings In this cohort study of 90 Black women in the US, higher self-reported racial discrimination was associated with greater resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) between the locus coeruleus (LC) and precuneus. Significant indirect effects were observed for the association between racial discrimination frequency and DNA methylation age acceleration.
Continue reading “Racial Discrimination, Neural Connectivity, and Epigenetic Aging in Black Women” »
Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a rapid, noninvasive tool to track the neurons and biomolecules activated in the brain by psychedelic drugs. The protein-based tool, which is called Ca2+-activated Split-TurboID, or CaST, is described in research published in Nature Methods.
There has been mounting interest in the value of psychedelic-inspired compounds as treatments for brain disorders including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder. Psychedelic compounds like LSD, DMT and psilocybin promote the growth and strengthening of neurons and their connections in the brain’s prefrontal cortex. The new tool could help scientists unlock the benefits of psychedelic treatments for patients with brain disorders.
“It’s important to think about the cellular mechanisms that these psychedelics act upon,” said Christina Kim, an assistant professor of neurology at the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience and School of Medicine, and an affiliate of the UC Davis Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics. “What are they? Once we know that, we can design different variants that target the same mechanism but with fewer side effects.”
Mental effort is generally unpleasant, as confirmed by a meta-analysis involving over 4,600 participants across various tasks and demographics. People often pursue challenging activities for the rewards, not the pleasure of the task. Credit: SciTechDaily.com.
A meta-analysis of 170 studies revealed that regardless of the task or population, increased mental effort correlates with feelings of frustration and stress. This phenomenon is less pronounced in Asian populations, possibly due to different educational experiences. Despite this, people still engage in mentally challenging tasks like chess, driven by the rewards rather than enjoyment of the effort itself.
Science: Physicists Will conduct experiments to verify if we live in the real reality or if we live in a virtual reality. In a computer simulation. In a dream. Or if not.
Researchers at California State Polytechnic University (CalPoly), Pomona are carrying out a series of quantum physics experiments expected to provide strong scientific evidence that we live in a computer simulated virtual reality. — PR13031782.
