Systems neuroscience

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New findings begin to resolve theta sweep debate

Theta sweeps have been mired in controversy for decades, but the field is starting to converge on a consensus view of their function.

By Natalia Mesa
6 August 2026 | 1 min watch
Dendrite.

Dendrites compute independently of cell body

Depending on their distance from the cell body, dendrites play different roles in learning and memory.

By Natalia Mesa
29 July 2026 | 5 min read
Research image of mouse brain.

Making waves: Sleep-like brain activity in awake mice lowers sleep need, boosts memory

Alternating on/off firing patterns don’t just characterize deep, slow-wave sleep, they drive some of its restorative benefits, new findings suggest.

By Alissa de Chassey
16 July 2026 | 4 min read
Two lab mice fighting.

From friend to foe: How the brain updates feelings toward others

A specific hippocampus-to-amygdala pathway reassigns emotional valence to a known individual, whereas the hippocampus’s own representation of that individual’s identity remains stable.

By Natalia Mesa
9 July 2026 | 5 min read

‘Completely new learning mechanism’ drives navigation in fruit flies

The neuromodulator octopamine, the insect counterpart to norepinephrine, helps flies get their bearings in an unfamiliar environment.

By Natalia Mesa
7 July 2026 | 0 min watch

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of astrocytes.

Three models, three routes to altered auditory processing, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 10 August.

By Jill Adams
11 August 2026 | 2 min read

Optimized two-photon microscopy enables voltage imaging at multiple depths

The tool could reveal how information flows within and between cortical layers during neural processing.

By Simon Makin
11 August 2026 | 4 min read
Portrait of insect-cognition researcher Martin Giurfa.

O que significa ‘lar’ para Martín Giurfa

O pesquisador especializado em cognição de insetos já trabalhou em vários continentes, mas a Argentina nunca está longe de seus pensamentos.

By Gina Jiménez
10 August 2026 | 15 min read