Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), National Centre of Biological Sciences (NCBS) Bengaluru, Anna University, Chennai and ETH, Zurich uncover the molecular events that lead up to the formation of protein clusters commonly seen in Parkinson’s disease.

In a recent study, researchers have proved that when we talk to our loved ones, the variations in our speech are independent of language and culture. It also shows that a lack of such variety in our talk can result in problems with social communication. 

India is ageing. Approximately 104 million Indians are above sixty and vulnerable to cognitive disorders affecting memory, such as dementia. Despite this impending future, we haven't been able to assess the current prevalence of such illnesses in the country. It is partly due to the geographical and cultural vastness of India, and the barriers of language and ethics prohibit the use of tests used in western countries. Now, a new study is trying to close this gap by introducing a psychological test that is adapted to the cultural and linguistic diversity of India.

Chemogenetics is a technique that uses chemicals to understand how neurons are activated. It manipulates genes to place the neurons under the control of special receptors called DREADDS. Short for Designer Receptors Activated by Designer Drugs, these receptors only bind to an inert chemical called Clozapine-N-Oxide (CNO). In a recent study, researchers from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, and Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, point out specific flaws in this technique.

In a recent study, researchers from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, have shown that the release of calcium from the neurons in specific synapses promotes their reuse.

In the course of human evolution, our ability to read is a relatively newly acquired trait. Hence, it is highly unlikely that a region of the brain could have evolved specifically for reading, unlike much more ancient functions like seeing or hearing. But, how is it that we are capable of this unique feat that involves recognising words and interpreting their meaning? Reading requires the coordinated functions of several regions in the brain, particularly associated with visual sensory processing. In a recent study, an international team of researchers investigated the effects of reading on the visual system in the brain.This study was published in the journal Science Advances.

Study investigates the abnormalities in the brain of a patient with a neurodegenerative disorder

The brain is an extremely delicate organ that, like a glass artefact, needs many layers to protect it from injury. Besides the skull, the brain has three protective tissue layers called meninges. They form a protective covering around the entire central nervous system, including the brain and the spinal cord, and help to regulate different functions of the brain.

A new study by scientists from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has shown that hues of different colours generate large gamma oscillation in the primary visual cortex, the region of the brain that processes visual information. Reddish hues were seen to cause the strongest oscillations.

Our brain is a ballroom echoing with humming footsteps of exquisite dancers a.k.a 'brain waves'. Synchronised electrical pulses from neurons communicating with each other produce these brain waves that ricochet throughout the brain. They skillfully route information in a way that allows the brain to choose which signals should be considered vital.