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What changes occur in parts of the brain affected by neurodegenerative disease? How does the structure of the neurons change? Some pathological changes in the tissue are easy to identify using standard microscopy. For example, the protein deposits known as “plaques”, which occur in Alzheimer's disease, can be seen with staining techniques. However, pathological changes can also be of a more subtle nature and easily missed unless there is a complete digitilisation and analysis of the three-dimensional structure.
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IMAGE: Left: 3D microscopic image of an optical LED-based cochlear implant (blue LEDs in gray silicone encapsulation) with hair cells (orange) and auditory nerve (blue/green) in the cochlea of a. view more
Credit: Daniel Keppeler, UMG
Understanding spoken words, developing normal speech - cochlear implants enable people with profound hearing impairment to gain a great deal in terms of quality of life. However, background noises are problematic, they significantly compromise the comprehension of speech of people with cochlear implants. The team led by Tobias Moser from the Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab at the University Medical Center Göttingen and from the Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory at the German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research (DPZ) is therefore working to improve cochlear implants. The scientists want to use genetic engineering methods to make the nerve cells in the ear sensitive to light