Contents
- 1. Scientists were able to restore the ability to see to the blind
- 2. A neural interface has been created that allows you to write with the power of thought
- 3. Scientists have learned to track brain aging more effectively
- 4. It became clear how plastic affects the brain
- 5 Science Is Getting Closer To Understanding How Neurons Work
Neurobiology is a relatively new specialty that involves specialists from various sciences in the study of the principles of the brain. And 2021 has been a year of great discoveries in neuroscience. We have selected for you the most interesting studies of the past year.
1. Scientists were able to restore the ability to see to the blind
At the Medical University of Utah a device that is implanted in the visual part of the brain and receives signals from special glasses with a camera that the patient wears.
Professor Eduardo Fernandez conducted the first test implantation of this device – and with its help managed to restore the sight of a 58-year-old teacher from Spain, who lost her sight more than 16 years ago as a result of the disease. As a result of implantation, the patient began to perceive black and white colors, as well as to distinguish simple figures and some symbols.
Testing was carried out for six months, after which the device was removed. And there were no negative consequences from its use.
Why do it? Scientists believe that a lot of time must pass before such treatments become generally available. And by that time they will determine the consequences of using the device.
2. A neural interface has been created that allows you to write with the power of thought
A team of scientists from several US universities an implant that allows paralyzed people to write “by hand” up to 90 characters per minute. In the study, tentatively titled BrainGate2, scientists implanted a system in the brain of a paralyzed person and asked it to mimic handwriting.
After the researchers trained the neural network, the implant was able to recognize up to 94% of the characters that the subject was thinking about. Another important observation was that motion recognition has a much higher accuracy than determining the specific “point” to which the user’s attention is directed.
Why do it? With this technology, the scientists hope to improve the ability to communicate for people whose body muscles are paralyzed. After all, free communication is vital for people.
3. Scientists have learned to track brain aging more effectively
Last year, neuroscientists from the UK an updated imaging modality to track changes in cognitive performance in older people. The new method is based on the assessment of the functioning of the white matter of the brain, an important component of the central nervous system.
This method allows you to more effectively describe changes in the white matter and track vascular changes in the early stages. In addition, this development will help to study the aging process of the brain as a whole in more detail.
Why do it? Scientists believe the new method also works well in detecting cerebrovascular diseases, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, which is necessary for prescribing timely treatment.
4. It became clear how plastic affects the brain
Bisphenols are important components of the chemical industry, and hundreds of tons of them are released into the biosphere every year. Until recently, it was not known how this substance affects the adult brain – one whose self-regulatory system can potentially compensate for any effect of bisphenols on individual neurons.
In the article In Communications biology, neuroscientists collaborated with chemists to analyze the effects of monthly exposure to the most common types of bisphenols—BPA and BPS—on a single selected neuron in the vertebrate brain.
The results of the study give cause for alarm: these plastic components have a devastating effect on the body of vertebrates due to its prevalence. They are found in the environment, oceans and atmosphere, as well as in food and breast milk. The latter aspect is of particular concern, since the body of a newborn may not be ready for such chemical compounds.
Why do it? Such research will help develop safer components for creating plastic. They will not have long-term effects on the body and can be removed from the system without a trace.
5 Science Is Getting Closer To Understanding How Neurons Work
Dendrites are clusters of neurons that act as “transmitters” for impulses between neurons. German scientists make it clear that in the human brain, these accumulations have a much more complex structure than previously thought.
So, it is the features of dendrites that allow us to solve two long-term tasks in parallel. This significantly changes the idea of the brain: it was previously believed that complex multilayer systems of neurons are involved in solving this type of tasks in the human brain. The reason for this misconception is that most of the information about the functioning of brain neurons has been obtained in the study of the brain of rodents.
Scientists from Germany examined the dendrites of the second and third layers of the cerebral cortex and found previously unknown dendrites.
Why do it? This discovery will help scientists gain a more holistic understanding of how the human brain works and will form the basis for further research.
Author: Nikolai Shelofastov