NCCR-Synapsy

The Synaptic Bases of Mental Diseases

Amputees consider their prosthetic limb is an extension of their own body

prosthetic arm

Merely having the prosthetic limb is not enough to assist the amputees with their activities. Many amputees skip the extended use of their prosthetic limb as their misplaced limb does not meet the criteria of their prosthesis. This actually means that Read more…


Researchers find dominant men can make decisions faster

boss shouting

Men who exhibit high social dominance make faster decisions than low-dominance men even outside a social context, finds a large behavioral study from EPFL. Hierarchies exist across all human and animal societies, organized by what behavioral scientists refer to as Read more…


Targeting a brain mechanism could treat aggression and violent behavior

brain targetting

EPFL neuroscientists have identified a brain mechanism that is linked to aggression and violent behavior, potentially forming the basis for treating aggression in several psychiatric disorders. Violence, which, needless to say, are destructive to both individuals and societies worldwide: death, Read more…


The neurons that rewrite traumatic memories

Graeff June18

Neuroscientists at EPFL have located the cells that help reprogram long-lasting memories of traumatic experiences towards safety, a first in neuroscience. The study is published in Science. Memories of traumatic experiences can lead to mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress Read more…


Women and science, a “solid glass ceiling”

glass ceiling

In scientific disciplines, women remain underrepresented in positions of responsibility, despite their increasing numbers. Anglophones call this phenomenon the leaky pipe issue, or problem of the pierced pipe. The metaphor lacks finesse, but it illustrates a phenomenon that affects all Read more…


Kathryn Hess, a born mathematician

Kathryn Hess-Bellwald

Professor at EPFL, Kathryn Hess Bellwald, puts into practice her discipline, the topology, to better understand how the brain works. She is also committed to the promotion of female science careers. Full article in Le Temps FR > < Back to NEWS Read more…


Sleepwalkers are better at automatic walking

Olaf Blanke portrait

Sleepwalkers who are awake may have a multi-tasking advantage over non-sleepwalkers, according to recent research that uses virtual reality. Try counting backwards from 200 in steps of 7 while walking en-route to your favorite café. Chances are, you will slow Read more…


Advanced artificial limbs mapped in the brain

Artificial arm

EPFL scientists from the Center for Neuroprosthetics have used functional MRI to show how the brain re-maps motor and sensory pathways following targeted muscle and sensory reinnervation (TMSR), a neuroprosthetic approach where residual limb nerves are rerouted towards intact muscles Read more…


A brain-system that builds confidence in what we see, hear and touch

Building brain confidence

A series of experiments at EPFL provide conclusive evidence that the brain uses a single mechanism (supramodality) to estimate confidence in different senses such as audition, touch, or vision. The study is published in the Journal of Neuroscience. Behavioral scientists Read more…