Neuroscience Content

Clifford Saron on the Scientific Study of Meditation

Soterios J Johnson — April 27, 2022 - 9:43pm

Neuroscientist Clifford Saron leads the Shamatha Project, one of the most ambitious and comprehensive longitudinal studies of meditation ever conducted. He discusses the study's findings so far; what science can tell us about the tangible effects of meditation; and how mindfulness affects our physical, mental and emotional health.

Higher Conscientiousness Linked to Less Risk of Dementia Diagnosis

Andy Fell — November 29, 2023 - 8:00am

People with personality traits such as conscientiousness, extraversion and positive affect are less likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those with neuroticism and negative affect, according to a new analysis by researchers at the University of California, Davis and Northwestern University. The difference was not linked to physical damage to brain tissue found in dementia patients, but more likely to how certain personality traits help people navigate dementia-related impairments.

'Life of a Neuron' at White House Demo Day

Andy Fell — November 17, 2023 - 3:33pm

Professor John Morrison, director of the California National Primate Research Center at �ٺ��Ƶ, presented the multimedia 'Life of a Neuron' exhibit at the American Possibilities: A White House Demo Day Nov. 7. The invitation-only event highlighted 40 American innovations in science and technology supported by federal funding.

‘The Backdrop’ Podcast: The Nature of Memory and Early Signs of Alzheimer’s

Soterios J Johnson — June 28, 2023 - 1:07pm

Scientists at �ٺ��Ƶ are working to identify early indicators to identify people with pre-clinical Alzheimer’s disease. The hope is that earlier detection — before the brain is significantly damaged — would allow for more successful interventions and better outcomes.

Revealing a Key Process in How the Brain Forms Memories

Andy Fell — March 29, 2023 - 2:00pm

The process by which memories are formed in the hippocampus region of the brain is complex. It relies on a precise choreography of interactions between neurons, neurotransmitters, receptors and enzymes.

The Nuances of Memory with Charan Ranganath

Andy Fell — February 21, 2023 - 3:04pm

Why does memory fade? Why does it stay?

These questions, among others, occupy the mind of Charan Ranganath, a �ٺ��Ƶ psychology professor in the �ٺ��Ƶ College of Letters and Science and a core faculty member with the Center for Neuroscience. But the transient nature of memory isn’t just a focal point of Ranganath’s research. It’s something that he, like the rest of us, deals with daily.

�ٺ��Ƶ Establishes Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics

Andy Fell — February 02, 2023 - 5:00am

The University of California, Davis, has launched the Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics to advance basic knowledge about the mechanisms of psychedelics and translate it into safe and effective treatments for diseases such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, among others.

Clinical Trial Aims to Develop New Methods to Restore Speech With Brain-Computer Interface

Andy Fell — August 19, 2022 - 10:19am

�ٺ��Ƶ Health is recruiting people for a clinical trial with the goal of building a “neurological prosthesis” for restoring speech to people who have lost — or are losing — the ability to speak. The research is aimed at people who have neurological injuries or progressive neurological diseases, such as spinal cord injury, stroke and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

Understanding Learning by Inference

Andy Fell — June 16, 2022 - 8:00am

Both humans and other animals are good at learning by inference, using information we do have to figure out things we cannot observe directly. New research from the Center for Mind and Brain at the University of California, Davis, shows how our brains achieve this by constructing cognitive maps.

Bat Brains Organized for Echolocation and Flight

Andy Fell — May 25, 2022 - 11:00am

A new study shows how the brains of Egyptian fruit bats are highly specialized for echolocation and flight, with motor areas of the cerebral cortex that are dedicated to sonar production and wing control. The work by researchers at the University of California, Davis, and UC Berkeley was published May 25 in Current Biology.