A Way Toward Unlocking the Teenage Brain?

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The teenage brain is full of mystery. How does one commemorate a friend’s face with either eyes and commit it to memory? How does that work? UO scientists are on their way to understanding how the brain processes sights, sounds and other input which are all then turned into actions and responses. In a research study led by UO doctoral student Joseph B. Wekselblatt, living mice were studied using a brain-visualization technique that functional MRI scans of human brains can only highlight generally. This approach can capture the interaction of neurons in real time when the brain is processing sensory stimuli. “Our technique is like fMRI but with far greater temporal and spatial resolution,” said Cristopher M. Niell, a professor in the Department of Biology and member of the Institute of Neuroscience. “We can visualize sensory inputs as they come into the brain, and the subsequent activity corresponding to a decision and behavioral response. We see the whole flow.” To read more, click here

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