Synaptic

Scientific evidence shows how the cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is caused by the buildup of amyloid beta proteins, which promote synaptic malfunction. One of the neuropathological features in the brains of patients with AD…

It's a mystery how human thoughts and dreams emerge from electrical pulses in the brain's estimated 100 trillion synapses, and Rice University neuroengineer Chong Xie dreams of changing that by creating a system that can record all the…

The synaptic transistor is reconfigurable, meaning it can be twisted and bent, yet still remain functional, as researchers Cunjiang Yu (left), Dorothy Quiggle Career…

Credit: Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Neuromorphic computing system technology mimicking the human brain must overcome the…

Within the brain and other parts of the nervous system, synapses are key junctional points in between neurons (the nerve cells) where critical signals are transmitted. More specifically, the "glutamatergic" synapses are the prime…

Chemical synapses transmit information within the nervous system. When a presynaptic cell is electrically excited, synaptic vesicles fuse with the presynaptic membrane causing messenger substances within the vesicles to be released into the…

The brain is wired for learning. With each experience, our neurons branch out to make new connections, laying down the circuitry of our long-term memories. Scientists call this trait plasticity, referring to an ability to adapt and change…

Information flows in a well-defined direction in the brain: Chemical and electrical signals are passed from one neuron to the other across the synapse, from the pre-synaptic to the post-synaptic neuron. Now, Peter Jonas and his group at the…