Controlling brain states with a ray of light

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2021-06-18 16:30:15

June 18, 2021

by Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC)

A study led by researchers from IBEC and IDIBAPS achieved, for the first time, the control of brain state transitions using a molecule responsive to light, named PAI. The results not only pave the way to act on the brain patterns activity and to understand their connection to cognition and behavior, but they also could lead to the development of photomodulated drugs for the treatment of brain lesions or diseases such as depression, bipolar disorders or Parkinson's or Alzheimer's diseases.

The brain presents different states depending on the communication between billions of neurons, and this network is the basis of all our perceptions, memories, and behaviors. It is often considered a "black box," with difficult access for clinicians and researchers, as few limited tools are available to perform accurate and spaciotemporal studies on brain neuronal behavior. Now, researchers from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in collaboration with August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) and have added some light to the subject: they succeeded for the first time in controlling neuronal activity in the brain using a molecule responsive to light.