IIT Study Finds Indian Ragas Sculpt Brain Activity, Boost Focus & Calm

In a landmark fusion of India’s rich musical heritage and cutting-edge neuroscience, a new and recent study led by Prof. Laxmidhar Behera, Director of IIT Mandi, has offered compelling scientific validation for a long-held cultural belief that music can transform the mind, exploring the dynamics of brain microtubules. Published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, the study reveals that listening to Indian Classical Ragas can significantly influence brain activity, enhancing attention, emotional regulation, and mental stability.

Conducted in collaboration with IIT Kanpur on 40 participants, the research employed advanced EEG microstate analysis, a real-time brain-mapping technique that captures momentary but meaningful patterns of neural activity. These “microstates,” often lasting just tens of milliseconds, represent the brain’s transient modes of operation such as attention, emotional engagement, or mind-wandering.

Prof. Laxmidhar Behera (far left), Dr. Ashish Gupta (Centre), and  Prof. Braj Bhushan (far right) during the EEG-based music and brain experiment.

What makes this study exceptional is the measurable impact of specific Ragas on these brain states. Raga Darbari, known for its soothing and uplifting qualities, was found to increase attention-related microstates while reducing those associated with mind-wandering, indicating deeper focus and cognitive clarity.

In contrast, Raga Jogiya, a melancholic melody, not only enhanced attentional networks but also activated emotion-regulation microstates, enabling listeners to process emotions with calm and composure. “EEG microstates offer a window into how the brain operates moment by moment,” explained Prof. Behera. “It is remarkable to see how these ancient melodies consistently guide the brain into more stable and focused patterns.” Ashish Gupta, the first author of the study, emphasized that the shifts observed in neural activity were not random. “The data showed repeatable, consistent transitions after exposure to the Ragas, suggesting Indian Classical music can serve as a powerful tool for mental wellness,” he said.

With mental health challenges such as stress, burnout, and attention deficits on the rise, this research points to a culturally resonant, non-invasive alternative. The research team suggests that listening to Raga Darbari before exams or important meetings may improve focus, while Raga Jogiya could help manage emotional overwhelm or grief. The study doesn’t just underscore how people feel in response to music, it demonstrates how the brain structurally responds, offering new potential for music-based interventions in cognitive and emotional health. Professor Braj Bhushan of IIT Kanpur, co-author of the study, remarked, “This work reveals the remarkable capacity of Indian Classical music to engage cognitive and emotional systems. It opens a new path for developing personalized, music-based mental health support tools rooted in India’s cultural wisdom.”

In a further affirmation of the findings, the research team conducted a parallel study on Western participants, which confirmed similar effects of classical music on brain microstates. This cross-cultural consistency highlights the universal neurological power of classical music. Both studies, co-authored by Dr. Ashish Gupta, Mr. Chandan Kumar Srivastava, Prof. Braj Bhushan, and Prof. Laxmidhar Behera, have been published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

In doing so, they contribute not only to the scientific understanding of music’s influence on the brain, but also to a growing movement that harmonizes ancient traditions with modern science reminding us that the future of mental well-being may well lie in the timeless strains of the past.

IISc Researchers Develop Brain-inspired Computing Platform That Can Store and Process Data

Researchers at the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a groundbreaking brain-inspired analog computing platform. This platform can store and process data in an impressive 16,500 conductance states within a molecular film. This innovation mimics the human brain's neural networks, allowing for more efficient and powerful data processing.

Supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Ministry of Education and the Department of Science and Technology., the team at IISc tapped into tiny molecular movements to design a highly precise and efficient neuromorphic accelerator, which can be seamlessly integrated with silicon circuits to boost their performance and energy efficiency.

Key Features:

High Efficiency: The platform integrates data storage and processing, reducing the need for data transfer and significantly improving energy efficiency.

Advanced AI Capabilities: It can handle complex AI tasks, such as training large language models, on personal devices like laptops and smartphones.

Neuromorphic Design: By using molecular movements to create a "molecular diary," it can access a vast number of memory states, far beyond the binary states of traditional digital computers.

This development could revolutionize AI hardware, making advanced AI tools more accessible and energy-efficient. It's a significant step forward in neuromorphic computing and positions India as a potential leader in global tech innovation.

Published in the journal Nature, this breakthrough represents a huge step forward over traditional digital computers in which data storage and processing are limited to just two states.

Neuromorphic computing differs significantly from traditional computing architectures in several key ways. For an instance, Traditional Computing uses the von Neumann architecture, where the CPU and memory are separate entities. Data is shuttled back and forth between them, which can create bottlenecks. While, Neuromorphic Computing mimics the brain’s neural networks, integrating processing and memory storage in a more interconnected manner, reducing data transfer bottlenecks.

Neuromorphic computing holds great promise for the future, especially in areas requiring high efficiency and adaptability.

Such a platform could potentially bring complex Al tasks, like training LLMs, to personal devices like laptops and smartphones, taking us closer to democratising the development of Al tools.

Neuromorphic computing is a fascinating area. It aims to mimic the neural structure and functioning of the human brain to create more efficient and powerful computing systems. This approach can potentially revolutionize various fields by significantly improving computing efficiency and reducing energy consumption.

Recent advancements in neuromorphic platforms have shown promising results. For instance, these platforms can process information in a way that is more akin to how the human brain works, enabling faster and more efficient data processing. This can be particularly beneficial for applications in artificial intelligence, robotics, and real-time data analysis.

Wipro Collab with IISc's Centre for Brain Research for AI/ML -powered R&D on Health and Wellbeing

Wipro Limited has announced a collaboration with the Centre for Brain Research (CBR) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to pioneer AI-driven health behavior innovations. This partnership aims to leverage artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and big data analytics to develop new technologies for precision support in the prevention and management of long-term health disorders.

The R&D team at Wipro, part of Lab45, will design and develop a personal care engine. This AI system will consider an individual's health history, desired health state, and other behavioral responses to promote healthy aging, positive lifestyle changes, and psycho-social wellbeing. The focus is on reducing and managing the risk of cardiovascular disease and correlated neurodegenerative disorders by personalizing interaction with users, optimizing for their long-term health and wellbeing.

Wipro will conduct a digital app-based trial in collaboration with CBR at IISc to test the engine's effectiveness for contexts deeply relevant for long-term health outcomes. The technological expertise of Wipro combined with the leading brain science research at CBR is expected to unlock new possibilities for patient care and cognitive and overall health. The joint R&D efforts will aim to develop systems that deliver better health outcomes at a population scale.

The personal care engine developed by Wipro in collaboration with the Centre for Brain Research at IISc is an AI-driven system designed to promote long-term health and psycho-social wellbeing. Below is how it works:

• Data Integration: The engine integrates various data points, including an individual's health history, behavioral responses, and their desired health state.
• AI and ML Algorithms: Using advanced AI and ML algorithms, the engine analyzes this data to identify patterns and make predictions.
• Personalization: It then personalizes its interaction with users, tailoring recommendations and support to encourage healthy aging and positive lifestyle changes.
• Health Management: The focus is on reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and related neurodegenerative disorders by optimizing for the user's long-term health and wellbeing.
• App-Based Trial: Wipro will conduct a digital app-based trial to assess the engine's effectiveness in real-world scenarios, ensuring that the technology is beneficial for long-term health outcomes.

This personal care engine represents a significant step towards precision health, leveraging technology to deliver individualized care and support for managing chronic health conditions.

Dr. Ajay Chander, Head of Research and Development, Wipro Limited, said, “Our collaboration with CBR will pioneer solutions at the intersection of computing and cognitive sciences, bringing scalable personalized care support for some of the most chronic health challenges globally. Cardiovascular conditions are a particular focus for us, because of their strong association with long-term cognitive issues and the potential for broad health and wellbeing benefits at lower costs.”

Further emphasizing the importance of this partnership, Professor K.V.S. Hari, Director, Centre for Brain Research, said, “Working with Wipro allows us to amplify our scientific expertise through large-scale digital applications. This partnership will accelerate the path from research to real-world solutions in cognitive and overall health.”

Intel Makes AI Breakthrough with World’s Largest Neuromorphic System Inspired By Human Brain

Intel has recently made a significant breakthrough in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) with the creation of the world's largest neuromorphic system. This remarkable system, codenamed Hala Point, represents a major leap forward in sustainable AI research and development.

Neuromorphic systems are designed to imitate the electrical properties of real neurons, found in human brain, more closely, which could speed up computation and use less energy.

Intel's Hala Point is an advanced neuromorphic system designed to emulate the intricate workings of the human brain. It contains an impressive 1.15 billion neurons. To put this into perspective, that's more neurons than there are stars in our Milky Way galaxy!

Hala Point, contains 1.15 billion neurons for more sustainable Al. (Credit: Intel Corporation)

At the heart of Hala Point lies Intel’s Loihi 2 processor, a marvel of engineering. This processor is specifically designed for brain-inspired computing and enables efficient and scalable AI. It combines deep learning efficiency with novel brain-inspired learning and optimization capabilities.

Hala Point demonstrates state-of-the-art computational efficiencies on mainstream AI workloads. It can support up to 20 quadrillion operations per second (20 petaops) with an efficiency exceeding 15 trillion 8-bit operations per second per watts (TOPS/W) when executing conventional deep neural networks. These levels rival and even exceed architectures built on graphics processing units (GPUs) and central processing units (CPUs).

The Intel Neuromorphic Research Team pose for a photo with Hala Point (from left): Patricio Martinez, platform hardware design engineer, Eduardo Quijano Centeno, lead platform hardware design engineer, Gerardo Peralta Francisco, platform hardware designer, and Leobardo Campos Macias, Al applied research scientist. (Credit: Intel Corporation)

Applications:

Hala Point's unique capabilities open up exciting possibilities for real-time continuous learning in various AI applications. These include:

• Scientific and Engineering Problem-Solving: Researchers can leverage Hala Point for solving complex scientific and engineering challenges.
• Logistics and Smart City Infrastructure Management: The system can enhance logistics and optimize smart city operations.
• Large Language Models (LLMs): Hala Point could contribute to the development of more powerful language models.
• AI Agents: It has the potential to improve AI agents' adaptability and efficiency.

Initially deployed at Sandia National Laboratories, Hala Point will support advanced brain-scale computing research. Scientists will focus on solving problems related to device physics, computer architecture, computer science, and informatics. In essence, Hala Point represents a critical step toward more sustainable and efficient AI technology.

This achievement by Intel underscores the importance of brain-inspired computing and its potential impact on the future of AI. With Hala Point, we're moving closer to unlocking new frontiers in artificial intelligence.

"The computing cost of today’s AI models is rising at unsustainable rates. The industry needs fundamentally new approaches capable of scaling. For that reason, we developed Hala Point, which combines deep learning efficiency with novel brain-inspired learning and optimization capabilities. We hope that research with Hala Point will advance the efficiency and adaptability of large-scale AI technology," Mike Davies, director of the Neuromorphic Computing Lab at Intel Labs.

Conventional Al systems, including those based on deep learning, rely on silicon-based computer architectures (such as CPUs and GPUs). These architectures were originally designed for general-purpose computing and do not directly mimic the brain's structure.

Neuromorphic computing, on the other hand, emulates the human brain's mechanisms within its architecture. It takes inspiration from the brain's neural networks, neurons, and synapses. The goal is to create hardware that operates more like the brain, enabling efficient and brain-inspired computation

Israeli Scientists Find Genetic Link Between Aging Brain and Brain Cancers

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev (NIBN) scientist Prof. Dan Levy has discovered a novel mechanism which is a promising target for cancer therapeutics.

“Our perception of the specific multistep molecular mechanistic process which regulates cancer initiation and progression found in this study, may allow us to develop new therapeutic strategies to optimize cancer treatment. While we investigated this mechanism in breast cancer models, we are currently expanding it to other cancer types such as melanoma and glioblastoma" says Prof. Levy.

Their findings were published yesterday in Science Advances.

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

 
"Our understanding of human cancer progression and treatment largely depends on our ability to scientifically explore and deeply decipher the different cellular events which control these processes. A central process which regulates cancer pathology is gene expression, or in other words, what are the mechanisms which turns a gene on or off? Can we control a selective gene expression to obtain a delicate balance in cancer-related cellular processes? Can we direct specific cellular factors to regulate this process? Obtaining such a balance will enable the cell to decide which genes to activate in a given time and tissue which will subsequently determine if a cell will become malignant or not," explains Prof. Levy.

This process is partly maintained by post translational modifications. One such modification is methylation, which refers to the addition of a chemical moiety (a methyl group) to a lysine residue in a given protein.

In this paper, the collaborating research teams have identified and characterized a new methylation event, catalyzed by the methyltransferase SETD6, on the transcription factor BRD4. BRD4 has a fundamental role in the regulation of gene expression and thus became a promising epigenetic therapeutic candidate to target diverse pathologies. 

In a comprehensive biochemical, molecular and genomics study, they have provided evidence that the methylation of BRD4 inhibits the expression of genes which are involved in translation and abolish protein synthesis in cells. BRD4 methylation determines the recruitment of the transcription factor E2F1 to selected target genes which are involved in protein generation, a molecular mechanism which facilitates the balanced expression of these genes. Un-balanced gene expression involved in protein synthesis may lead to increased proliferation and transformation which can subsequently result in the initiation and progression of cancer.

Prof. Dan Levy is a member of the Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Genetics in the Faculty of Health Sciences as well as The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev (NIBN). The research was led by Dr. Zlata Vershinin, a post-doc in Prof. Levy's lab, as part of an outstanding scientific collaboration with the research group of Dr. Rab Prinjha (Glaxo smith Kline pharmaceutical company); Prof. Mark Dawson (University of Melbourne); Panagis Filippakopoulos (Oxford University) and Dr. Barak Rotblat and Dr. Vered Caspi from Ben-Gurion University.

The research was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF), The Research Career Development Award from the Israel Cancer Research Fund and from the Israel Cancer Association.

Prof. Levy's lab focuses on the study of additional protein methylation pathways such as: cell cycles, programmed cell death, DNA damage control, DNA repair, adipocytes differentiation and more. “These pathways and others have a direct effect on the development of diseases such as different types of cancer and metabolic diseases like diabetes, fatty liver, obesity etc.," says Prof. Levy.

"Our research has great potential for the identification of new therapeutic targets. Indeed, our research group deals with the development of specific molecules to modulate the enzymatic and cellular activity of SETD6 and other methyltransferases. Such agents might be used in the future for the generation of therapy strategies," says Prof. Levy.