A team at the Technical University of Munich’s TUM University Hospital has implanted a brain-computer interface in a patient paralyzed from the neck down. The five-hour procedure was the first of its kind performed in Europe. The device enables research that could one day help restore independence and improve quality of life for patients. In particular, the scientists hope to enable the 25-year-old patient to control his smartphone and a robotic arm using only his thoughts. The researchers are now seeking additional participants.

Why are we able to recall only some of our past experiences? A new study at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan has an answer. Spoiler Alert! The brain cells responsible for stabilizing memories aren’t neurons. Rather, they are astrocytes, a type of glial cell that is usually thought of as a role player in the game of learning and memory. Published in Nature, the study shows how emotionally intense experiences like fear biologically tag small groups of astrocytes for several days so that they can re-engage when a mouse recalls the experience. It is this repeated astrocytic engagement that stabilizes memories.