Neuroscience
Neuroscientists at Karolinska Institutet strive to make fundamental discoveries about nervous system function, to teach and train the next generation of scientists and clinicians, and to translate research findings into improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders.
Interviews and features
Supporting those with chronic pain
Supporting those with chronic pain
Thanks to research by Eva Kosek, there has been an increased understanding of the pain disorder fibromyalgia – and patients today encounter less suspicion.
The fragile memory
The fragile memory
Do you and your brother have different recollections of which one of you knocked over the Christmas tree when the cat ran away and the Christmas porridge got burnt? Perhaps you are both wrong. This according to researchers who study how we remember our lives.
What fathers worry about
What fathers worry about
Money and the upbringing and health of their child are the three storm clouds hanging over the heads of new fathers in Sweden. An increase in support for fathers would promote equality, says the researcher behind a recent study.
When you blow a fuse
When you blow a fuse
Why do some people get angrier than others in the same situation? And why do some people go far beyond the social boundaries, causing harm to others and to themselves? There are no simple answers – but we have talked to some of the people who know the most about aggression.
She studies rude behaviour at work
She studies rude behaviour at work
Previous studies indicate that rude behaviour at work is a growing problem. Karin Villaume intends to survey the current situation in the Swedish retail trade.
She wants us to see the biology
She wants us to see the biology
Cynthia Bulik wants to reduce the stigma surrounding anorexia nervosa by increasing the knowledge of its biological causes. It should be as easy to say that you suffer from this illness as it is saying that you suffer from asthma.
How is the brain affected by culture?
How is the brain affected by culture?
Fredrik Ullén is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and an internationally recognized concert pianist. He is also the Scientific Director of a new centre for Culture, Cognition and Health.
A picture is worth a thousand words
A picture is worth a thousand words
Internal mental images could have a strong influence on our emotions. Emily Holmes is using this knowledge to develop psychological treatments that can reach sufferers of trauma.
Can AI be useful to psychologists?
Can AI be useful to psychologists?
Within psychological treatment, it is important to determine if the patient is receiving the right kind of therapy early on. Viktor Kaldo is set to study if artificial intelligence, AI, can help us with this.
ADHD and autism
ADHD and autism
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – ALS
Chronic pain
Chronic pain
Eating disorders
Eating disorders
Multiple sclerosis – MS
Multiple sclerosis – MS
Preventing suicide
Preventing suicide
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Stroke
Stroke
Who do you believe?
Who do you believe?
A cordial smile and a warm gaze – yep, that’s enough for us to make an immediate assumption that someone is trustworthy. However, some find it easier to trust than others. Researchers are trying to find out why.
Loneliness a danger to our health
Loneliness a danger to our health
Feeling alone is tough, and it also appears to be detrimental to our physical health, possibly to the same extent as smoking. Now, research shows that loneliness can be beaten.
The art of keeping calm
The art of keeping calm
Everyone worries at times, but when thoughts of disaster get the upper hand, it might be a good idea to seek help. Researchers at KI knows how to become a little calmer.
News in neuroscience
Some of our professors in this area
Combining various kinds of data for more knowledge about MS
Combining various kinds of data for more knowledge about MS
Ingrid Kockum is researching into multiple sclerosis, MS, and is leading the major international collaboration MultipleMS. By combining many different types of data, the project will generate increased knowledge on various types of MS.
Optogenetics to understand complex brain function
Optogenetics to understand complex brain function
Ole Kiehn's research is about understanding how neurons and neural networks operate to generate complex brain function. In his lab, researchers combine electrophysiology and anatomy with molecular mouse genetics, optogenetics and behavioral analyses.
Multisensory mechanisms of body self-perception
Multisensory mechanisms of body self-perception
Henrik Ehrsson's research is centered on the question of how we come to perceive ownership over our bodies – how visual, tactile and proprioceptive information are combined to obtain a single coherent object that is one's own body.
Studying the brain’s neural code
Studying the brain’s neural code
Gilad Silberberg listens to individual nerve cells in order to understand the fundamental principles of their communication. His research focuses on the basal ganglia and how they form the link between sensory perception and motor function.
Noticing patients with obsessive compulsive disorders
Noticing patients with obsessive compulsive disorders
Obsessive-compulsive disorder and related conditions are more common than many other mental disorders but have long been neglected by both research and psychiatric care. David Mataix-Cols wants to change that.
Seeking new ways to diagnose and treat Alzheimer’s
Seeking new ways to diagnose and treat Alzheimer’s
Angel Cedazo-Minguez wants to understand how the metabolism of cholesterol and insulin in the brain contributes to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. In the long-term, he hopes to develop new diagnostic methods and treatments before the disease gives symptoms.
New knowledge of the power of imagery over the psyche
New knowledge of the power of imagery over the psyche
Emily Holmes is passionate about better psychological treatments based on science. Her research concerns how we think and remember in mental images and developing new treatments based on this knowledge, for example how to prevent flashbacks.
Identifying mechanisms of prenatal damage
Identifying mechanisms of prenatal damage
Alterations in the intrauterine programming during critical periods of nervous system development can have adverse consequences that increase the risk of pathological conditions in adults. Sandra Ceccatelli's research aims at identifying mechanisms of prenatal damage that trigger behavioral impairment later in life.
The brain networks while resting
The brain networks while resting
Peter Fransson is mapping the appearance and function of the interconnections between parts of the brain.
How can we stay sharp in our old age?
How can we stay sharp in our old age?
A brain that is kept properly active runs less risk of dementia. But why? This is what Martin Lövdén is studying.