THE “HOLY GRAIL” OF NEUROSCIENCE? RESEARCHERS CREATE STUNNINGLY ACCURATE DIGITAL TWIN OF THE BRAIN

In a breakthrough that could revolutionize neuroscience, researchers have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to create a highly accurate “digital twin” of the mouse brain. This advanced AI model can predict how neurons respond to entirely new visual stimuli—something no previous model has accomplished with such precision. 

Recently published in Nature


, the study—led by scientists from Baylor College of Medicine, Stanford University, and the Allen Institute for Brain Science—introduces a sophisticated artificial neural network called a “foundation model.” 

The model replicates brain activity and mirrors the intricate structural details of neural circuits, offering a powerful new tool for exploring the brain’s inner workings. 

Much like how ChatGPT and other large language models transformed natural language processing, this brain model could reshape how we study perception, behavior, or even consciousness.

“If you build a model of the brain and it’s very accurate, that means you can do a lot more experiments,” Stanford professor of ophthalmology and senior author of the study, Dr. Andreas Tolias, explained in a press release. “We’re trying to open the black box, so to speak, to understand the brain at the level of individual neurons or populations of neurons and how they work together to encode information.”

Remarkably, the model didn’t stop at predicting how neurons would fire. It also inferred their physical characteristics—like where they sit in the brain and what kind of neuron they are.

In another major leap for neuroscience, researchers with the MICrONS project recently unveiled the most detailed functional map of the brain to date, offering unprecedented insight into how neurons connect, interact, and communicate. This feat was once considered “impossible.”

Using data from the MICrONS project, researchers applied their model to more than 70,000 neurons. The model accurately predicted anatomical cell types, dendritic structures, and even synaptic connectivity patterns despite never having been trained on anatomical data.

This suggests that the “functional barcodes” generated by the model—essentially, how a neuron processes visual information—can be used as fingerprints to reveal a cell’s type and structure.

Visit our website: cognitivescientist.org                                                     

Nomination now: cognitivescientist.org/award-nomination/?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lancet report calls out systemic corruption and inefficiencies at National Medical Commission

Image
The prestigious medical journal's report was published on 19 July, raising concerns about the integrity of medical education and, in turn, the future quality of healthcare in the country.   New Delhi: Lancet has criticized what it described as “systemic corruption and inefficiencies” at the National Medical Commission (NMC) after a corruption scandal surfaced about India top medical education regulator. The prestigious medical journal's report was published on 19 July, raising concerns about the integrity of medical education and, in turn, the future quality of healthcare in the country.  On 30 June, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a criminal case naming 34 individuals, including officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the NMC and a few doctors responsible for inspecting Shri Rawatpura Sarkar Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Nava Raipur. This happened after searches at over 40 places across five states. The CBI findin...
Read more

A brain tumor is a growth of cells in the brain or near it. Brain tumors can happen in the brain tissue.

Image
  A brain tumor is a growth of cells in the brain or near it. Brain tumors can happen in the brain tissue. Brain tumors also can happen near the brain tissue. Nearby locations include nerves, the pituitary gland, the pineal gland, and the membranes that cover the surface of the brain. Brain tumors can begin in the brain. These are called primary brain tumors. Sometimes, cancer spreads to the brain from other parts of the body. These tumors are secondary brain tumors, also called metastatic brain tumors. Many different types of primary brain tumors exist. Some brain tumors aren't cancerous. These are called noncancerous brain tumors or benign brain tumors. Noncancerous brain tumors may grow over time and press on the brain tissue. Other brain tumors are brain cancers, also called malignant brain tumors. Brain cancers may grow quickly. The cancer cells can invade and destroy the brain tissue. Brain tumors range in size from very small to very large. Some brain tumors are found when t...
Read more

Drugs of Abuse Cause Addiction Through Effects on the Brain

Image
  Remarkable scientific progress over the past five decades has helped us develop knowledge of  how  drugs of abuse induce pleasure, reinforce use, and lead to the compulsive self-administration we call addiction.  We now know that addiction is largely a brain disease. This progress was driven by interdisciplinary research that blended neuroanatomy, molecular biology, pharmacology, and neuroimaging. I am a contributor to this research, as are Eric Nestler, Nora Volkow, Herbert Kleber, George Aghajanian, Jean-Lud Cadet, George Koob, Ken Blum, Mary Jeanne Kreek, and others who have pieced together clues to construct the neurobiological infrastructure of addiction. In the 1970s, when Kleber, Aghajanian, and I were at Yale, we made key discoveries linking the pontine locus coeruleus (LC) and noradrenergic hyperactivity directly to opioid withdrawal. My studies in the 70s demonstrated that chronic opioid use suppresses LC activity, and withdrawal from opioids results in r...
Read more