https://websites4-live-prod.ysmdevs.com/lab/blumenfeld/news-rss/?orgId=114296&title=Latest+News A selection of the latest research, academic, and other newsworthy developments at Blumenfeld Lab en-us Copyright 2026 Yale School of Medicine Thu, 14 May 2026 19:06:08 Z https://news.yale.edu/2025/09/09/origins-mental-illness-fast-gas-black-hole https://news.yale.edu/2025/09/09/origins-mental-illness-fast-gas-black-hole Yale researchers discover a gas guzzling black hole, learn that mental illness may start to develop earlier than once thought, and explore why some brain seizures cause a loss of consciousness. Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:00:00 Z https://news.yale.edu/2025/05/15/study-reveals-deep-brain-region-links-senses https://news.yale.edu/2025/05/15/study-reveals-deep-brain-region-links-senses A Yale-led study shows that the senses stimulate a region of the brain that controls consciousness—a finding that might inform treatment for disorders related to attention, arousal, and more.   Thu, 15 May 2025 14:00:00 Z https://news.yale.edu/2025/03/11/nanowires-ai-and-bit-selective-hearing https://news.yale.edu/2025/03/11/nanowires-ai-and-bit-selective-hearing Yale researchers take a deep dive into studies about hearing, nanowire assembly, heart imaging, photosynthesis, Tourette disorder, and AI in scientific writing. Tue, 11 Mar 2025 16:00:00 Z https://news.yale.edu/2024/12/17/uncovering-why-some-seizures-cause-loss-consciousness https://news.yale.edu/2024/12/17/uncovering-why-some-seizures-cause-loss-consciousness Temporal lobe seizures can make part of the brain act as if asleep. A new study identifies the neurotransmitter that may be responsible. Tue, 17 Dec 2024 05:00:00 Z https://websites4-live-prod.ysmdevs.com/lab/blumenfeld/news-article/yadav-receives-american-epilepsy-society-postdoctoral-research-fellowship/ https://websites4-live-prod.ysmdevs.com/lab/blumenfeld/news-article/yadav-receives-american-epilepsy-society-postdoctoral-research-fellowship/ The American Epilepsy Society (AES) has awarded Postdoctoral Associate Taruna Yadav, PhD with a $50,000 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. This competitive fellowship supports Dr. Yadav’s research into using a wearable technology - the ARTiE Watch - to quantify impaired consciousness in epilepsy. Mon, 07 Aug 2023 04:00:00 Z https://www.yalescientific.org/2023/05/a-staring-spell/ https://www.yalescientific.org/2023/05/a-staring-spell/ Hal Blumenfeld, MD, PhD, Yale School of Medicine professor of neurology and director of the Yale Clinical Neuroscience Imaging Center, describes the journey of validating an animal for measuring behavioral response during absence epilepsy, understanding the neuronal basis for the condition, and the path toward identifying targeted therapies. Tue, 02 May 2023 04:00:00 Z https://websites4-live-prod.ysmdevs.com/lab/blumenfeld/news-article/study-identifies-neuronal-basis-of-impaired-consciousness-in-absence-epilepsy/ https://websites4-live-prod.ysmdevs.com/lab/blumenfeld/news-article/study-identifies-neuronal-basis-of-impaired-consciousness-in-absence-epilepsy/ Using a genetic model known as Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rats of Strasbourg (GAERS), Yale researchers have identified the neuronal basis for absence epilepsy. Their findings were published Jan. 10 in Nature Communications. During absence epilepsy episodes, children experience brief staring spells, during which they temporarily lose consciousness. Absence seizures can be captured by abnormal rhythms on EEG recordings, but their neuronal cause has never before been identified. Wed, 11 Jan 2023 04:00:00 Z https://news.yale.edu/2022/12/07/eyes-offer-window-mystery-human-consciousness https://news.yale.edu/2022/12/07/eyes-offer-window-mystery-human-consciousness A Yale study describes how our brains are capable of sorting through an avalanche of external stimuli to shape a sense of our surroundings. Fri, 09 Dec 2022 04:00:00 Z https://websites4-live-prod.ysmdevs.com/lab/blumenfeld/news-article/research-applies-machine-learningai-to-predict-consciousness-for-driving-in-people-with-epilepsy/ https://websites4-live-prod.ysmdevs.com/lab/blumenfeld/news-article/research-applies-machine-learningai-to-predict-consciousness-for-driving-in-people-with-epilepsy/ A new study published in September 2022 in Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology may guide doctors in how to proceed when they observe SWDs on EEG, but are unclear of the patient’s neurological capacity for driving. Led by Principal Investigator Hal Blumenfeld, MD, PhD, researchers have harnessed the power of machine learning/artificial intelligence (AI) to address the shortcomings of traditional testing. Tue, 20 Sep 2022 04:00:00 Z