What would our daily lives be like if we actually experienced each blink of an eye as a miniblackout, slowly observing the eyelids closing over the cornea thousands of times a day?
What would our daily lives be like if we actually experienced each blink of an eye as a miniblackout, slowly observing the eyelids closing over the cornea thousands of times a day?
Luckily, we don't have to endure that chaos, and researchers have uncovered a clue as to why. Dr. Davina Bristow and colleagues at University College London equipped the mouths of volunteers with optical fibers that allowed their retinas to experience a continuous stream of light. Subjects also shielded their eyes with lightproof goggles. The researchers then used functional MRI to measure brain activity associated with blinking. (Current Biology 2005;15:1296-1300).
They found a synchronized link between blinking and the suppression of areas of the brain that process visual awareness. When volunteers blinked, parts of their visual cortex shut down, even though the light falling onto the retina remained constant throughout the blink.
The brain, essentially, is hardwired not to notice the thousands of daily nanosecond blackouts, the researchers concluded.
Emerging AI Algorithm Shows Promise for Abbreviated Breast MRI in Multicenter Study
April 25th 2025An artificial intelligence algorithm for dynamic contrast-enhanced breast MRI offered a 93.9 percent AUC for breast cancer detection, and a 92.3 percent sensitivity in BI-RADS 3 cases, according to new research presented at the Society for Breast Imaging (SBI) conference.
The Reading Room Podcast: Current Perspectives on the Updated Appropriate Use Criteria for Brain PET
March 18th 2025In a new podcast, Satoshi Minoshima, M.D., Ph.D., and James Williams, Ph.D., share their insights on the recently updated appropriate use criteria for amyloid PET and tau PET in patients with mild cognitive impairment.
Can Abbreviated Breast MRI Have an Impact in Assessing Post-Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response?
April 24th 2025New research presented at the Society for Breast Imaging (SBI) conference suggests that abbreviated MRI is comparable to full MRI in assessing pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.
Clarius Mobile Health Unveils Anterior Knee Feature for Handheld Ultrasound
April 23rd 2025The T-Mode Anterior Knee feature reportedly offers a combination of automated segmentation and real-time conversion of grayscale ultrasound images into color-coded visuals that bolster understanding for novice ultrasound users.