Mapping and analyzing the brain at the level of neural circuitry – “human connectomics” – is hotter than ever. Many scientists think that by mapping neuronal connections in the brain, we will both better understand cognition and better be able to treat any deficits. Talking of its $40 billion Human Connectome Project, the National Institute of Health says it “will lead to […]
Invading the Brain to Understand and Repair Cognition
CNS 2016 Blog (Press Release) April 5, 2016, New York – People are using brain-machine interfaces to restore motor function in ways never before possible – through limb prosthetics and exoskletons. But technologies to repair and improve cognition have been more elusive. That is rapidly changing with new tools – from fully implantable brain devices […]
Neuroscientists Working to Test Brain Training Claims
CNS 2016 Blog (Press Release) April 5, 2016, New York – The draw is huge: Play video games and get smarter. For the past decade, various groups have claimed that their cognitive training programs do everything from staving off neurodegenerative disease to enhancing education and improving daily functioning. Absent from many of these claims has […]
How A Brain Can Rewire After Surgery
CNS 2016 Blog When neurosurgeons remove a tumor from the brain, there is often a risk to the patient of cognitive deficits resulting from injury to the surrounding brain tissue. But even in cases where the surgery leads to deficits, many patients are able to recover. New work on a patient with a post-surgery language deficit […]
Understanding How We Trigger and Rehearse Memories
CNS 2016 Blog Today I met Daphna Shohamy. Will I remember who she is if I run into her later for dinner? If I see her, I probably won’t relive her morning talk but memories of CNS likely (hopefully!) will come to mind to help me remember who she is. This is how Shohamy likes […]
Music on the Mind: Rocking Out for CNS 2016
Cognitive neuroscientists are often masters in multiple fields, such as psychology, neurology, and anatomy. But some go even further by living a double life: scientists by day, rockers by night. “Unlike submitting papers or grant applications, music is immediately satisfying.” -Earl Miller Three bands made up of CNS members – The Amygdaloids, Pavlov’s Dogz, and […]
Stimulating Our Autobiographical Memories
We all wish at times that we had better memories of events in our lives – whether a childhood vacation, what we ate a few weeks ago, or maybe even where we were for the Oscars a few years ago. What if the answer were in a simple pulse of electricity at routine intervals, much […]
