Research quantifying “nociception” could help improve management of surgical pain

New statistical models based on physiological data from more than 100 surgeries provide objective, accurate measures of the body’s subconscious perception of pain.

David Orenstein | The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory • mit
Sept. 24, 2024 ~10 min

Finding some stability in adaptable brains

New research suggests neurons protect and preserve certain information through a dedicated zone of stable synapses.

Jennifer Michalowski | McGovern Institute for Brain Research • mit
Sept. 16, 2024 ~7 min


Harnessing the power of placebo for pain relief

MIT researchers investigate the neural circuits that underlie placebos’ ability to relieve chronic and acute pain.

Jennifer Michalowski | McGovern Institute for Brain Research • mit
Sept. 10, 2024 ~6 min

Study assesses seizure risk from stimulating the thalamus

In animal models, even low stimulation currents can sometimes still cause electrographic seizures, researchers found.

David Orenstein | The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory • mit
Sept. 6, 2024 ~5 min

Scientists find neurons that process language on different timescales

In language-processing areas of the brain, some cell populations respond to one word, while others respond to strings of words.

Anne Trafton | MIT News • mit
Aug. 26, 2024 ~8 min

MIT study explains why laws are written in an incomprehensible style

The convoluted “legalese” used in legal documents conveys a special sense of authority, and even non-lawyers have learned to wield it.

Anne Trafton | MIT News • mit
Aug. 19, 2024 ~7 min

Study reveals ways in which 40Hz sensory stimulation may preserve brain’s “white matter”

Gamma frequency light and sound stimulation preserves myelination in mouse models and reveals molecular mechanisms that may underlie the benefit.

David Orenstein | The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory • mit
Aug. 13, 2024 ~9 min

New method enables fast, accurate estimates of cardiovascular state to inform blood pressure management

A mathematical method, validated with experimental data, provides a fast, reliable, and minimally invasive way of determining how to treat critical blood pressure changes during surgery or intensive care.

David Orenstein | The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory • mit
July 30, 2024 ~7 min


Study across multiple brain regions discerns Alzheimer’s vulnerability and resilience factors

Genomics and lab studies reveal numerous findings, including a key role for Reelin amid neuronal vulnerability, and for choline and antioxidants in sustaining cognition.

David Orenstein | The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory • mit
July 24, 2024 ~11 min

Study reveals how an anesthesia drug induces unconsciousness

Propofol, a drug commonly used for general anesthesia, derails the brain’s normal balance between stability and excitability.

Anne Trafton | MIT News • mit
July 15, 2024 ~8 min

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