![[An illustration of a microglia.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2021/02/Microglia-Warrior2.png)
One of the first things you’ll learn about if you start studying the brain is that it is made of cells called neurons. While neuroscientists have a decent understanding about how neurons work, it turns out that at least half of the brain is actually made of non-neuronal cells called glia*. Glia, named based on the Greek word for ‘glue,’ were initially thought to be a type of connective tissue in the nervous system, acting just as scaffolding, while the neurons did all the communicating. In the last couple decades, the growing field of neuroimmunology has highlighted the importance of a certain kind of glia: microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells…
Tag: neuroscience
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2021
The question of how we sense the environment around us has fascinated humans for centuries. The first attempts at a theoretical understanding of the senses were discovered in the writings of early Greek thinkers in the sixth and fifth centuries BCE. However, the gap between our theories and our understanding of how our senses work is continuing to shrink. This year, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to Dr. David Julius and Dr. Ardem Patapoutian, two scientists who independently discovered mechanisms of how we sense temperature and touch…
A study on grammar and the bilingual brain
![[A cartoon of the brain, with pictures of a heart, a thought bubble, music notes, numbers, a molecule, and words.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2021/09/brain-5662029_1920.jpg)
We humans have a unique capacity to acquire language, even as adults. However, if you have ever used Duolingo, you might have realized that children are more successful at acquiring languages than adults. This observation is puzzling; since adults are smarter than children, shouldn’t it be the other way around? One set of explanations for this paradox focuses on parsing — that is, applying our knowledge of grammar as sentences unfold incrementally…
Cannabidiol: A step in the right direction for treating epilepsy
![[Black and white image of the brain. The black lines represent the many different “connections” our brain uses in order to communicate and function.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2021/04/abstract-image-of-brain.png)
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder that is characterized by sudden, uncontrolled electrical activity between neurons in the brain. These electrical disturbances typically manifest in the form of seizures which, in their mild forms, can go unnoticed, but in more severe cases can cause uncontrollable muscle twitches, loss of consciousness and, ultimately, memory loss. There are two classes of seizures: general, whole brain seizures and focal seizures, in which only a part of the brain is affected. Based on these two classes, additional seizure types are characterized by their severity and symptoms…
The Origins of 420
![[A cannabis plant, seeds, and oil displayed on a canvas cloth.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2021/04/cbd-4469987_1920.jpg)
This Tuesday is April 20th, otherwise known as 420. For some it’s just another day in the week, but for others it’s a much-anticipated and beloved holiday. However, have you ever stopped to consider how this pseudo-holiday came to be? A quick google search will provide a number of varying and amusing theories. Some of the most popular 420 stories include 420 as a police dispatch code for cannabis use, as the number of chemical compounds in cannabis (actually there are over 500), or the day of Bob Marley’s death (actually May 11th). However…
Potluck of neuroscience: Meet microglia, your brain’s National Guard
One of the first things you’ll learn about if you start studying the brain is that it is made of cells called neurons. While neuroscientists have a decent understanding about how neurons work, it turns out that at least half of the brain is actually made of non-neuronal cells called glia*. Glia, named based on the Greek word for ‘glue,’ were initially thought to be a type of connective tissue in the nervous system, acting just as scaffolding, while the neurons did all the communicating. In the last couple decades, the growing field of neuroimmunology has highlighted the importance of a certain kind of glia: microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells.
Animals play a key part in concussion research
![[ ]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2020/09/Cat-Concussion-meme-1.jpg)
Currently, there are no effective treatments for concussions. People typically heal over time. Doctors treat the symptoms (e.g.. headaches, concentration problems, trouble sleeping, memory), but do not tackle the actual problem (i.e., how the injury affects certain functions of the brain). This is due to the inability to see what is happening to the brain as it receives a concussion. Because of that, researchers use animal models (e.g., lab rats, mice, etc.) to assess how the brain is affected by concussions.
Potluck of neuroscience: Physics and charge
The more I learn about the discipline of neuroscience, the more I come to see it as the great scientific potluck of our day. While the actual meal at a potluck often seems disjointed, it allows guests to sample a wide variety of tasty foods brought by people from different culinary backgrounds. This post is… Read more »
Expanding ‘The Matrix’ of science: The Newman lab inside and out
![[Eight people standing around a table full of science experiments]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2020/01/fairview4-26.jpg)
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (PBS) assistant professor Dr. Ehren Newman studies circuitry in the brain, particularly the circuitry that is associated with the making of stories and the retrieval of memories. Newman’s background as a computational neuroscientist enables him to bring a plethora of new insight into his current field of systems cognitive psychology. Memory is a complex process with multiple facets. “We don’t remember everything that happens to us with equal probability,” he observes. “Instead, we have fragmented memories of things of varying lengths.” So, how do we choose which memories to store and later recall?
The human brain can control a robotic arm
![[A man grasps a metal prosthetic arm.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2020/01/engineer-4702083_640.jpg)
Robotics are typically portrayed as complex mechanical systems that function according to a fixed code. Yet, that is quickly changing; certain robotic parts are now able to update their code in real time. By incorporating engineering and neuroscience research, scientists and physicians have found a way to make robotic pieces function “naturally” like any limb on the human body…