'Bold finding' for brain injuriesRSS Feed

A team led by researchers from Stanford University has made a breakthrough in the field of neuroscience that could help the way serious brain injuries are treated.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has long been used to show neuroscientists what the brain is doing when people respond to different stimuli, but until now has not been fully understood.

The study found that fMRI signals based on increased levels of oxygen in the blood occurred because of heightened activity in certain types of brain cell.

Senior author Karl Deisseroth, MD PhD, associate professor of bioengineering and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, said: "A key to scientific inquiry is developing tools that allow us to intervene and experiment with brain circuits - engineering a reversible gain or loss of function - rather than simple observation of correlations.

"This points to new approaches for understanding and treatment."

The news comes as Action for Brain Injury Week starts today which aims to raise awareness of brian injurie and the problems of sufferers.

Serious Law, award winning brain injury law firm

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