Articles tagged with Cerebral Cortex
A Yale team found a crucial molecular mechanism for mixing neurons in columns of the cerebral cortex. This intermixing is essential for normal cognitive processing and disruption can lead to severe problems like autism and mental retardation.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have made a breakthrough in understanding how monkeys weigh costs and benefits when deciding whether to explore new options or stick with what they know. By analyzing neural signals in the posterior cingulate cortex, the team was able to predict which strategy the monkey would employ.
Researchers discovered that rewarding correct decisions can enhance brain function in the cortex and improve learning. Targeted manipulation of dopamine levels may lead to new possibilities in treating patients after a stroke or improving cognitive abilities.
Researchers at the Salk Institute found that Fgf10 plays a critical role in regulating brain development by controlling the timing of cellular transitions. This process, known as corticogenesis, allows for the expansion of specific brain areas, such as the frontal lobe in humans.
A new study found that a specific gene, DRD4, is linked to children's temperament and brain activity, with those having the long version of the gene exhibiting more soothable behavior. However, when this gene was combined with increased right frontal cortex activity, it led to attention problems in children.
A recent neuroimaging study reveals that distinguishing true from false involves two distinct processes: memory and reasoning. The study found that true statements are processed in the left inferior parietal cortex, while false statements activate the right fronto-polar cortex.
Research by Emory University scientists identifies a mechanism in mother mice's brains that focuses their awareness on the calls of baby mice. The high-frequency sounds of pups inhibit neurons more attuned to lower frequency sounds, enhancing contrast and making them stand out.
A study published in Current Biology confirms that parts of the brain responsible for object processing also activate when individuals touch objects. Despite struggling with visual input, HJA showed activity only for tactile objects, suggesting a direct connection between the sense of touch and object recognition.
A 68-year-old man with Korsakoff's syndrome exhibited an extraordinary ability to recall false memories, surpassing the limits of time and details. This phenomenon, named 'Confabulatory Hyperamnesia', is characterized by detailed false memories that are often plausible and coherent.
Researchers found that brain cells in the lateral intraparietal cortex predict direction choice and uncertainty, revealing a link between decision making and certainty. The study suggests a simple mechanism underlying both, bringing certainty under the same rubric as choice and reaction time.
Researchers found that brain-lesioned patients with apraxia struggle to point at targets using a stick, indicating impaired movement coordination. The study suggests that the brain's ability to incorporate tools into movement is essential for everyday activities.
Researchers used brain scanners to record brain activity while participants drew cartoon faces from memory. The findings suggest that the brain transforms visual information into non-visual forms, creating action plans for drawing.
Researchers found that BDNF treatment can prevent or reverse memory loss, cognitive impairment, and brain cell degeneration in animal models of Alzheimer's disease. The study suggests a potential novel approach to treating the disease by slowing its progression.
Researchers found differences in activation strength between male and female groups on a verbal fluency task, with women scoring higher than men. The study suggests that sex differences may be related to both performance level and neurocognitive variations.
A University of Iowa study links sex differences in brain structure, particularly in the parietal lobe, to variations in spatial skill test performance. Women's thicker cortexes are associated with poorer mental rotation ability, while men's larger parietal lobe surface area is related to better performance.
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory demonstrate that spike timing in cortical neurons can influence behavior even at minuscule time intervals. The study suggests an alternative theory of information processing in the cortex, where information is encoded within the precise pattern of spiking rather than just the rate of spiking.
Research at Vanderbilt University found that musicians exhibit greater divergent thinking and bilateral brain activity compared to non-musicians. Musicians' enhanced creativity was linked to their ability to integrate competing information from both hemispheres, facilitating innovative solutions.
Hallucinations are associated with changes in brain connections and localized activity, highlighting the need for a broader perspective on the condition. The study reveals increased activity in visual brain regions and alterations in connection strength, shedding light on the neural basis of hallucinations.
A new study published in Neuron reveals that the perirhinal cortex can contribute to forming memories by creating simple associations between items. This finding expands our understanding of how brain areas involved in memory formation are organized, potentially leading to new insights into memory disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
A study published in Psychological Science found that socially painful experiences can be revisited through memory recall, causing increased emotional pain. In contrast, physically painful events tend to fade with time. The study's findings suggest an evolutionary aspect of human brain development, particularly in the cerebral cortex, ...
Scientists at Boston Children's Hospital have identified the Otx2 protein as a key factor in triggering brain plasticity, allowing the brain to rewire and adapt. This discovery has implications for understanding developmental disorders like autism and potential treatments for improving learning and cognitive function.
Researchers found that individuals with tune deafness, an auditory processing disorder, can detect incorrect notes without conscious awareness. This discovery may help scientists study consciousness using genetic research tools.
Researchers found that hemineglect patients can unconsciously process symbols presented on the left side, even if they cannot consciously perceive them. This suggests that the brain extracts meaning from neglected information, but patients cannot make conscious use of it.
A study published in Cortex found that children who can read but struggle with spelling are more likely to be right-handed. This subgroup of poor spellers was also found to have better hand skills, suggesting a possible link between phonetic skills and handedness.
A new study by Dr. Martha Turner and colleagues found that patients with confabulation, a condition where memories are distorted after brain damage, all shared damage to the inferior medial prefrontal cortex. This discovery sheds light on how the human brain controls memory and distinguishes true from false recollections.
Pasko Rakic's work has revealed how neurons in the developing cerebral cortex are generated and assembled into highly ordered circuits. His discoveries have transformed our understanding of brain function and development, with implications for treatments of brain disorders.
A study found that high-functioning individuals with autism have impaired 'self' responses in the brain, affecting their ability to understand themselves and others. This discovery could lead to new diagnostic tools and a better understanding of social cognition in autism.
A study by UCI researchers has identified the Lhx2 gene as the long-sought cortical creator gene, instructing stem cells in the developing brain to form the cerebral cortex. This finding could potentially be used in stem cell research efforts to grow new cortical neurons to replace damaged ones.
Researchers discover that individual brains are adapted to their unique auditory environment and can learn to localize sounds. The study may lead to more sophisticated hearing aids and speech recognition systems.
Neuroscientists identified a novel mechanism for long-term learning, revealing how NMDA receptors weaken synapses and impair further learning. The discovery sheds light on the molecular mechanisms underlying learning and memory, potentially leading to a better understanding of Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers identified brain regions that fire up more when people make impulsive decisions, a key finding linking thinking patterns to addiction. The study suggests raising dopamine levels may be an effective treatment for addiction, offering new approach to therapy and potential subtypes of alcoholics.
Researchers found that brain's memory consolidation process occurs at a rate of six or seven times faster than real-time experiences. This 'thought speed' allows the brain to replay memories in 8-10 minutes instead of an hour, revealing the biological trick behind this phenomenon.
Researchers identify key proteins in brain cortex associated with neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. A new method also detects abnormal protein-sugar structures in blood plasma for cancer diagnosis. Additionally, proteins linked to improved liver cancer diagnosis have been identified.
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine discovered that approximately 10% of subplate neurons survive into adulthood and maintain functional connections. These cells generate electrical signals and receive inputs from neighboring neurons, undergoing plasticity to adapt to experience and activity.
Research using fMRI and behavioral studies confirms that adult human brain can reorganize and adapt after damage, such as stroke or visual disorders. The study found that the visually deprived cortex assumed new functional properties, affecting visual perception and leading to distortions in perception.
Studies with monkeys reveal that specific parietal cortex areas process distinct aspects of 3D space, including depth structure and two-dimensional shape. These findings provide insights into the neural basis of primate visual perception and manipulation of objects.
Researchers found that brain structure Heschl's Gyrus predicts successful second language learning. Adults with smaller left HG gray matter need not despair of learning another language, as training strategies can improve outcomes.
In a study published in PLOS Biology, researchers discovered parietal neurons that respond with increasing activity as the number of items in a display is varied, suggesting an accumulator neuron role. This finding supports computer models separating summing and numerical identification processes.
A brain imaging study found that a specific gene variant associated with Alzheimer's disease is linked to thinner brain structures in youth, which may increase the risk of mental decline. The ApoE4 variant affects learning and memory hubs, but its impact on intellectual ability appears harmless.
Researchers pinpointed brain regions critical to piecing together a continuous view of the world. By using an illusion known as boundary extension, they found two brain areas involved in extrapolating scenes and integrating discrete samples of surrounding space.
Two studies in Neuron shed significant light on how the brain processes numerical information and how it develops in children. The research found that the parietal cortex activates during perception of both abstract quantities and numerical symbols, suggesting an important role for this region in processing quantitative information.
Researchers at UCI found that cholinergic neuronal circuits rely on neurotrophin-3 to recognize and reach target nerve cells in the brain. This discovery may lead to potential treatments for Alzheimer's disease by inducing nerve fibers to regrow in the cerebral cortex.
Researchers at University of Rochester discovered that neural noise enhances brain's processing and enables decision-making in uncertain environments. The 'noise' is actually the brain's optimal format for running Bayesian computations, making it easier to compute complex answers.
Pitt and NIH researchers provide a circuit-level explanation for why our eyes appear to move smoothly despite making saccades. They found that a corollary discharge signal from the brainstem causes visual neurons to shift their receptive field, enabling visual stability.
A new study from Harvard Medical School identifies neurons in the parietal cortex that assist in categorizing visual stimuli, and how brain activity patterns change with learning. The findings suggest categories are encoded by individual neurons and the parietal cortex plays a key role in learning and recognizing visual images.
Researchers found that nitric oxide enhances communication between the thalamus and cortex, allowing for more complex brain operations. This discovery could lead to a better understanding of major brain disorders such as schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder.
Researchers at Yale University found that prolonged and frequent ultrasound exposure on pregnant mice causes brain abnormalities, including scattered neurons in inappropriate cortical layers. The study suggests caution against non-medical ultrasound use on human fetuses, but supports its medical applications.
Research suggests that present-day non-human primates, such as rhesus monkeys and macaques, use brain regions similar to those in humans to process species-specific vocalizations. This finding bolsters the hypothesis that a shared ancestor possessed the neural mechanisms for language, which may have evolved in humans.
Studies found that people with autism have reduced connections and coordination between brain areas, leading to difficulties in problem-solving and communication. The research provides evidence for a new theory that views autism as a failure of brain regions to communicate with each other.
Researchers created frequency maps for most of the 11 auditory cortex fields (ACFs) and observed a periodic pattern of topographic preference for certain frequencies. The ACFs were divided into two groups, with three core fields reacting to individual frequencies in simple sounds like tones.
Researchers have identified 33 structural changes in the cerebral cortex of individuals with Williams syndrome, including asymmetry between left and right sides. The study's findings may provide insights into developmental brain disorders like autism by enabling scientists to quantify brain structure trends.
Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to study brain activity during sensory processing and introspection. They found that sensory processing activated the sensory cortex, while introspection activated the prefrontal cortex, which was silenced during intense sensory engagement.
The study found that children with superior IQs have a cortex that thickens rapidly and peaks earlier than those with average or high IQs. The researchers suggest that this may be due to an extended critical period for development of high-level cognitive circuits.
Researchers used Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to test frontal cortex role in non-language tasks. Participants struggled with understanding others' actions after left frontal cortex stimulation, suggesting its importance for social cognition and communication.
A Dartmouth study reveals that the brain's parietal cortex plays a crucial role in understanding the goals of other people's actions. This finding has implications for our understanding of human social interactions and may help explain impaired social behaviors in individuals with autism.
Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to study volunteers' brains, finding high levels of activity in the posterior parietal cortex. Participants felt their waist shrink by up to 28% after a vibrating device stimulated their wrist tendon, suggesting the brain creates a map of body size through integrating signals from ...
A new study published in PLoS Biology used the Pinocchio illusion to scan people's brains while experiencing a shrinking waist sensation. The researchers found high activity in the posterior parietal cortex, which integrates sensory information from different body parts, leading to distorted body image perception.
A new perspective on cortical development suggests that genetic and environmental factors interact to shape brain regions. Researchers, led by Mriganka Sur, have discovered that transcription factors play a key role in controlling cell growth and connectivity during early prenatal development.
Scientists from Max Planck Institute discovered that the auditory cortex integrates sensory information from multiple sources simultaneously, strengthening activity with tactile stimulation. This finding suggests that the brain processes sensory data early to prevent false perceptions.
The PALS (Population-Average, Landmark-, and Surface-based) atlas provides a comprehensive map of the human cerebral cortex, combining data from multiple individuals to improve accuracy. The atlas has already helped scientists understand how genetic disorders affect brain structure and function.