The neuroscience behind our fear of Artificial Intelligence

The bidirectional relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and neuroscience, where neuroscience inspires AI design and AI, in turn, offers computational models to understand brain processes, has led to fears about AI achieving consciousness or surpassing human intelligence.

The fear that AI might eventually replace humans in most areas of life challenges our sense of purpose and identity. Click video to learn more.

Huntington’s disease breakthrough: new altered neural circuits discovered

Huntington’s disease has been linked to the malfunctioning of certain neuronal pathways, particularly the corticostriatal circuitry, in patients. Now, a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience has discovered further alterations in other neural circuits using mouse models to study this pathology, which profoundly impacts the patients’ lives.

Now, this study has identified for the first time that the M2 cortex sends different axonal projections to another anatomical structure in the brain —the superior colliculus (SC). These projections are deeply impaired and could be linked to the disease symptomatology. Click here to learn more.

Bayer: Phase I trial results from Parkinson's cell therapy positive

Bayer has reported that initial testing on 12 volunteers showed its experimental stem cell therapy to treat Parkinson's disease was well-tolerated and that transplanted cells survived in patients' brains.

Bayer said the positive one-year results from subsidiary BlueRock Therapeutics's Phase I trial of the therapy known as bemdaneprocel encouraged it to advance the testing on humans to the second of three stages. Click here to learn more.

FDA approves noninvasive treatment for essential tremor

Insightec’s Exablate Neuro system, used as a noninvasive treatment of essential tremor, has been approved by the FDA. Rather than making incisions or implants in the brain, Exablate Neuro uses focused ultrasound waves to target and ablate tissue. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used as guidance throughout the treatment and offers real-time treatment monitoring.

Insightec noted that patients are able to go right back to their day-to-day lives after the outpatient treatment. Patients experience immediate tremor relief and have minimal risk of infection, bleeding or other complications. The treatment does not require anesthesia. Click here to learn more.

Targeted degradation of ⍺-synuclein aggregates in Parkinson’s disease using the AUTOTAC technology

There are currently no disease-modifying therapeutics for Parkinson’s disease (PD).  extensive efforts were undertaken to develop therapeutic approaches to delay the symptoms of PD, untreated α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates cause cellular toxicity and stimulate further disease progression.

However, no PROTACs have yet shown to selectively degrade α-syn aggregates mainly owing to the limited capacity of the proteasome to degrade aggregates, necessitating the development of novel approaches to fundamentally eliminate α-syn aggregates. Click here to learn more.