A standard commercial CMOS FET can exhibit synaptic-like long-term potentiation and depression or neuron-like leaky-integrate-and-fire and adaptive frequency-bursting behaviour when biased in a specific but unconventional way.
Category: neuroscience – Page 162
Connectivity profile and function of uniquely human cortical areas
New in JNeurosci: In a study comparing human brains to macaque and chimpanzee brains, Bryant et al. discovered neuroanatomical features that are unique to humans.
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Determining the brain specializations unique to humans requires directly comparative anatomical information from other primates, especially our closest relatives. Human (Homo sapiens) (m/f), chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) (f), and rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) (m/f) white matter atlases were used to create connectivity blueprints, i.e., descriptions of the cortical grey matter in terms of the connectivity with homologous white matter tracts. This allowed a quantitative comparative of cortical organization across the species. We identified human-unique connectivity profiles concentrated in temporal and parietal cortices, and hominid-unique organization in prefrontal cortex. Functional decoding revealed human-unique hotspots correlated with language processing and social cognition. Overall, our results counter models that assign primacy to prefrontal cortex for human uniqueness.
Significance statement Understanding what makes the human brain unique requires direct comparisons with other primates, particularly our closest relatives. Using connectivity blueprints, we compared to cortical organization of the human to that of the macaque and, for the first time, the chimpanzee. This approach revealed human-specific connectivity patterns in the temporal and parietal lobes, regions linked to language and social cognition. These findings challenge traditional views that prioritize the prefrontal cortex in defining human cognitive uniqueness, emphasizing instead the importance of temporal and parietal cortical evolution in shaping our species’ abilities.
Neuroscientists unveil digital ‘translator’ for brain studies
UCLA Health researchers have helped to develop a new digital toolbox to create a “common language” for brain network studies, potentially accelerating new discoveries and treatments for neurological and psychiatric conditions.
In a study recently published in the journal Nature Communications, the authors say the open-source software will help researchers worldwide overcome a longstanding hurdle in brain imaging research.
“As long as people have been interested in studying the brain, they have tried to map it out by answering a basic question: how many brain regions are there?” said study senior author Lucina Uddin, a UCLA Health Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences Professor and Director of the UCLA Brain Connectivity and Cognition Laboratory.
Terahertz imaging reveals new views of internal cochlea structure
For the first time, researchers have shown that terahertz imaging can be used to visualize internal details of the mouse cochlea with micron-level spatial resolution. The non-invasive method could open new possibilities for diagnosing hearing loss and other ear-related conditions.
“Hearing relies on the cochlea, a spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear that converts sound waves into neural signals,” said research team leader Kazunori Serita from Waseda University in Japan. “Although conventional imaging methods often struggle to visualize this organ’s fine details, our 3D terahertz near-field imaging technique allows us to see small structures inside the cochlea without any damage.”
Terahertz radiation, which falls between microwaves and the mid-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, is ideal for biological imaging because it is low-energy and non-harmful to tissues, scatters less than near-infrared and visible light and can pass through bone while also being sensitive to changes in hydration and cellular structure.
Bringing Philosophy to Science
In the first episode of the Insight Stream, hosted by Akhandadhi das and featuring Hridayananda das Goswami, we explore the fascinating intersection of science and philosophy. Presented by the Bhaktivedanta Institute, this episode delves into the boundaries of empirical knowledge, the role of metaphysics, and the timeless relevance of philosophical inquiry. Join us in this engaging discussion that challenges the dominance of physicalism and offers fresh perspectives on free will, consciousness, and the search for deeper truths.
