Lifeboat Foundation

In vivo imaging of large-scale neuronal activity plays a pivotal role in unraveling the function of the brain’s circuitry. Multiphoton microscopy, a powerful tool for deep-tissue imaging, has received sustained interest in advancing its speed, field of view and imaging depth. However, to avoid thermal damage in scattering biological tissue, field of view decreases exponentially as imaging depth increases. We present a suite of innovations to optimize three-photon microscopy for large field-of-view imaging at depths unreachable by two-photon microscopy. These techniques enable us to image neuronal activities of transgenic animals expressing protein calcium sensors in a ~ 3.5-mm diameter field-of-view with single-cell resolution in the deepest cortical layer of mouse brains.

Year 2018 face_with_colon_three

Typing with the MindWave Mobile.

Scientists looking to tackle our ongoing obesity crisis have made an important discovery: Intermittent calorie restriction leads to significant changes both in the gut and the brain, which may open up new options for maintaining a healthy weight.

Researchers from China studied 25 volunteers classed as obese over a period of 62 days, during which they took part in an intermittent energy restriction (IER) program – a regime that involves careful control of calorie intake and relative fasting on some days.

Not only did the participants in the study lose weight – 7.6 kilograms (16.8 pounds) or 7.8 percent of their body weight on average – there was also evidence of shifts in the activity of obesity-related regions of the brain, and in the make-up of gut bacteria.

MetaShape’s PNP inhibitor technology aims to restore NAD+ levels to combat LDL cholesterol, cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.

For a very long time, we have been under the impression that memory and learning are solely the brain’s forte. Central to this belief is the fact that our brains, particularly our brain cells, store memories.

However, an innovative team of researchers begs to differ, suggesting that cells in other parts of the body partake in this memory function too.

The ability of non-brain cells to learn and form memories is a riveting discovery.

Model mice treated with extracts and powders exhibit restored cognitive and motor functions. Efforts to develop a breakthrough dementia drug are gaining attention, yet traditional medicinal products may provide valuable insights for preventive care. A research group led by Specially Appointed Professor Takami Tomiyama of Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School…

A study found that male worms’ brains can activate conflicting memories, but behavior is driven by the more beneficial one. This research sheds light on how brains prioritize information, offering insights into conditions like PTSD.

A new study by UCL researchers reveals that two conflicting memories can simultaneously be activated in a worm’s brain, even though only one memory directly influences the animal’s behavior.

In the paper published in Current Biology, the researchers showed how an animal’s sex drive can at times outweigh the need to eat when determining behavior, as they investigated what happens when a worm smells an odor that has been linked to both good experiences (mating) and bad experiences (starvation).

The recipient of the world’s first Neuralink brain-chip transplant is able to control a computer mouse by thinking, the tech startup’s founder Elon Musk announced this week.

“Progress is good, and the patient seems to have made a full recovery, with no ill effects that we are aware of,” Reuters reported that Musk said in an X Spaces event on Monday. “Patient is able to move a mouse around the screen by just thinking.”

Musk added that Neuralink was trying to get the patient to click the mouse as much as possible, Reuters reported.

The billionaire’s brain device company is currently recruiting patients in the US, UK and Canada.