Sensory systems
Visual perception improves in the blink of an eye
Blinking—long considered a problem the brain must overcome to produce seamless vision—may actually be more of a feature than a bug, new research suggests.
![A person sits in an experimental rig that examines eye movements.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Eye-Blinks-setup-1200-landscape-1024x683.webp)
Visual perception improves in the blink of an eye
Blinking—long considered a problem the brain must overcome to produce seamless vision—may actually be more of a feature than a bug, new research suggests.
Decoding flies’ motor control with acrobat-scientist Eugenia Chiappe
The tiny performers steal the show in Chiappe’s sensorimotor-integration lab in Lisbon, Portugal.
![Photograph of Eugenia Chiappe jumping inside a glass hallway.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/EugeniaChiappe-lede-1200-1024x692.webp)
Decoding flies’ motor control with acrobat-scientist Eugenia Chiappe
The tiny performers steal the show in Chiappe’s sensorimotor-integration lab in Lisbon, Portugal.
Autism-linked genes shape touch processing through different mechanisms, at different times
Whereas some mice display hypersensitivity to touch only as adults, others respond that way from birth.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1200-spinal-touch-1024x683.webp)
Autism-linked genes shape touch processing through different mechanisms, at different times
Whereas some mice display hypersensitivity to touch only as adults, others respond that way from birth.
Individual neurons tune to complex speech sounds and cues
Neuropixels arrays implanted in people reveal nuances of speech perception and production that confirm results from brain-surface recordings and can even predict what someone is about to say.
![Human head drawn in profile, brain area is red and connected to words spelled out in connected lines with nodes.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Speech-sound-neurons-1200-1024x692.webp)
Individual neurons tune to complex speech sounds and cues
Neuropixels arrays implanted in people reveal nuances of speech perception and production that confirm results from brain-surface recordings and can even predict what someone is about to say.
Common sensory response scores may miss important variations
A person’s “overall” score on sensory-seeking, hyperreactive or hyporeactive tendencies may obscure nuances in their individual sensory experience.
![A preschool-age child plays with a vertical sensory board to which colorful moving objects are attached.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1200-viewpoint-sensory-reactivity-autism-transmitter-neuroscience-spectrum-1024x683.webp)
Common sensory response scores may miss important variations
A person’s “overall” score on sensory-seeking, hyperreactive or hyporeactive tendencies may obscure nuances in their individual sensory experience.
Monkey studies throw wrench into decade-old idea about movement’s effect on visual cortex
Movements that boost activity in the visual cortex of mice have the opposite or no effect in marmosets and macaques, prompting questions about whether mice are a suitable model for the primate visual system.
![Illustration of a yellow brain and a pink brain](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1200-cortical-states-neuroscience-transmitter-1024x683.webp)
Monkey studies throw wrench into decade-old idea about movement’s effect on visual cortex
Movements that boost activity in the visual cortex of mice have the opposite or no effect in marmosets and macaques, prompting questions about whether mice are a suitable model for the primate visual system.
Tiny eardrum sounds may help sync visual, auditory perception
Studies of the oscillations reveal that horizontal and vertical eye movements generate distinct sounds.
Tiny eardrum sounds may help sync visual, auditory perception
Studies of the oscillations reveal that horizontal and vertical eye movements generate distinct sounds.
Explore more from The Transmitter
New connectomes fly beyond the brain
Researchers are mapping the neurons in Drosophila’s ventral nerve cord, where the central nervous system meets the rest of the body.
![Research image of neurons in the fly’s ventral nerve cord.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/lede-motormodules-1200-1024x692.webp)
New connectomes fly beyond the brain
Researchers are mapping the neurons in Drosophila’s ventral nerve cord, where the central nervous system meets the rest of the body.
Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman
A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.
![Illustration of researchers talking to laypeople amidst strands of DNA.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1200_Charman-1024x687.webp)
Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman
A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.
Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing
The newly identified circuit taps into the brain’s opioid system to provide a top-down form of pain relief.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/paincircuit-1200-1024x692.webp)
Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing
The newly identified circuit taps into the brain’s opioid system to provide a top-down form of pain relief.