New method found to detect neural activity centre in brain


Life, Health

Researchers develop new method to detect light in brain.

One of the central challenges in modern neuroscience is recording the exchange of information between different regions of the brain. (Photo: ANI)

Washington: Researchers have developed a new light-based method to capture and pinpoint the epicentre of neural activity in the brain.

The approach, described in the journal Nature Methods, lays the foundation for novel ways to map connections across different brain regions--an ability that can enable the design of devices to image various areas of the brain and even treat conditions that arise from malfunctions in cells inhabiting these regions, the researchers said.







The approach has effectively allowed scientists to capture how nerve signals travel in time and space and to gauge the concentration of specific neurotransmitters during specific actions. The method enriches researchers' methodological repertoire and augments their ability to study the central nervous system and probe the molecular causes of neurological disorders.