Neuroimaging is a suite of in vivo techniques used to noninvasively visualize and quantify structural, functional, and molecular properties of the nervous system, primarily the brain. Major modalities include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its derivatives (fMRI, DTI), positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and electroencephalography (EEG) when used with anatomical imaging. These techniques enable measurement of brain morphology, connectivity, hemodynamics, metabolism, receptor binding, and electrophysiological activity, supporting research on neural circuit organization, disease mechanisms, pharmacodynamics, and biomarkers, as well as multimodal data integration for advanced computational and statistical modeling of brain function.
Near-infrared spectroscopy, or fNIRS, offers a way to monitor brain activity without surgery or radiation by tracking changes in blood flow and oxygenation. Light sources placed on the scalp send near-infrared light into ...
Optics & Photonics
Apr 7, 2026
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A recent study published in Physical Review Letters reveals that many widely used signatures of criticality in brain data may be statistical artifacts. They propose a more robust framework that, when applied to whole-brain ...
Cerebral blood flow is essential for normal brain function and often perturbed in neurological disease. If one shines a source of coherent light on perfused tissue, the detected speckles, or "grains" of light fluctuate, or ...
Optics & Photonics
Mar 14, 2026
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Neuroscientists have uncovered new insights into a key evolutionary question: Why can humans talk when most animals can't? The journal Science published the research led by Emory University and the New College of Florida. ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 12, 2026
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Humans are fundamentally "musical animals"—and our capacity for music is rooted in biology, not just culture. This is the conclusion of new work by University of Amsterdam professor of Music Cognition Henkjan Honing. In "The ...
Evolution
Mar 12, 2026
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Researchers have found that the size of the amygdala—a region of the brain involved in processing emotions—could be linked to social tolerance in macaque monkeys. Their research, published today in eLife, is described by ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 3, 2026
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A new study suggests that babies are able to distinguish between the different objects they see around them at 2 months old, which is earlier than scientists previously thought.
Other
Feb 21, 2026
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What types of photos make people reach for their wallets? New Stanford University-led research suggests that brain activity can help forecast which wildlife images will inspire people to engage online and donate to conservation ...
Environment
Feb 17, 2026
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Babies are born with the ability to predict rhythm, according to a study published February 5 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Roberta Bianco from the Italian Institute of Technology, and colleagues.
Plants & Animals
Feb 5, 2026
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26
Sleep is a universal biological state that allows all animals, from mammals to amphibians, fish and even insects, to restore their energy and consolidate knowledge that can contribute to their survival. Neuroscientists and ...
