New Imaging System Tracks Brain Changes

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed an imaging system that allows them to see how the brain responds to experiences.

Researchers at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory can now visualize the activity of molecules in neurons in animals’ brains.

Visual experiences induce a protein, called Arc, that operates as a filter to help improve selectivity of the brain’s responses to stimuli, according to a release from the institute. The protein, located in the hippocampus, is believed to create long-term memories by fortifying the synapses or nerve connections.

The more experience an animal has with objects and shapes, the better it can understand and interpret them, the study found,

This discovery could offer unparalleled advantages in understanding pathological processes in real time, leading to potential new drugs and treatments for a host of neurological diseases and mental disorders, said Nobel laureate Susumu Tonegawa, a head researcher.

The imaging system implanted transparent windows over the visual cortex, allowing scientists to monitor the activity of proteins in the brains of mice over time.

The research is summarized in the July 28 issue of Cell.