Bioengineers have invented a thin, flexible device that adheres to the neck and translates the muscle movements of the larynx into audible speech. The device is trained through machine learning to recognize which muscle movements correspond to which words. The self-powered technology could serve as a non-invasive tool for people who have lost the ability to speak due to vocal cord problems.
Read more: Speaking without vocal cords, thanks to a new AI-assisted wearable device
Eating fatty food in the days leading up to surgery may prompt a heightened inflammatory response in the brain that interferes for weeks with memory-related cognitive function in older adults -- and, new research in animals suggests, even in young adults.
Read more: Fatty food before surgery may impair memory in old, young adults
Hunger can drive a motivational state that leads an animal to a successful pursuit of a goal -- foraging for and finding food. In a highly novel study, researchers describe how two major neuronal subpopulations in a part of the brain's thalamus called the paraventricular nucleus participate in the dynamic regulation of goal pursuits. This research provides insight into the mechanisms by which the brain tracks motivational states to shape instrumental actions.
Read more: How the brain translates motivation into goal-oriented behavior, according to new study