With the help of light-emitting diodes as small as neurons, the secrets of neural pathways in the brain can be unlocked.
LED Therapy to Treat Brain Injury
The lives of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who require assisted living can be improved with the help of self-administered light therapy.
The lives of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who require assisted living can be improved with the help of self-administered light therapy.
‘Neural probes in the size of a tenth of a millimeter equipped with minuscule LED lights and electrodes can stimulate and measure the circuity of hundred individual neurons.’
In Genetically modified mice, neurons can be turned on and off with the help of light. Each probe array contains 12 LEDs and 32 electrodes. Using this technique researchers have shed light on the brain’s neuronal activity by implanting optical fibers and recorded the response with a second device. The team believes that this experiment using probes based on their design could lead to breakthroughs in understanding and treating neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's. The study has been published in the Journal Neuron.
"Hundreds of millions of people suffer from neurological diseases, but treatment methods and drugs are currently very limited because scientific understanding of the brain is lacking. We have developed a tool that is needed to better understand how the brain works—and why it doesn't work—to try to solve to these problems," said Fan Wu, co-first author.
Blue Light Emitting Diodes can Help in Chemical-Free Food Preservation
Food items like fresh-cut fruits and ready-to-eat meat can be preserved under blue LEDs in combination with chilling temperatures.
Food items like fresh-cut fruits and ready-to-eat meat can be preserved under blue LEDs in combination with chilling temperatures.
Blindness-linked Condition Resolved by Camera Chip
Retinitis pigmentosa,that leads to incurable blindness could be resolved, scientists claim, with a new strategy.
Retinitis pigmentosa,that leads to incurable blindness could be resolved, scientists claim, with a new strategy.
Scientists Unravel Brain Circuits Involved In Cravings
The researchers showed how designer brain receptors and designer drugs work together to change how cues for food stimulate motivation.
The researchers showed how designer brain receptors and designer drugs work together to change how cues for food stimulate motivation.
