Whole-Brain Activity Mapping Unveiled, Showcasing Stunning Dynamics
Groundbreaking Study Reveals Extensive Brain Activity in Decision-Making Process
A groundbreaking study led by an international team of neuroscientists has provided unprecedented insight into the decision-making process in the brain. The research, published in two separate studies in the journal Nature, has generated the first single-cell, electrophysiological brain map of such size in a mammal, using the brains of mice.
According to Professor Alexandre Pouget of the International Brain Laboratory (IBL) and the University of Geneva, the decision-making activity, particularly reward, "lights up" the brain like a Christmas tree. This finding challenges conventional wisdom that only a small number of dedicated areas would be activated during the decision-making process.
The study involved mice being presented with a screen showing a light on the left or right side. The mice were required to move a wheel in the corresponding direction to receive a treat. The researchers adjusted the brightness of the lights to make the task more challenging, allowing them to observe brain activity when making a decision and reacting to new information.
State-of-the-art Neuropixels probes were used to capture simultaneous neural recordings as the mice made decisions based on prior expectations. The brain activity map reveals that expectations are not limited to cognitive areas but also extend to parts of the brain involved in sensory processing, such as the thalamus, a key area for visual processing.
The novel map reveals brain activity in unprecedented detail, with over half a million neurons recorded across 279 brain areas, representing 95% of the brain volume of the mice studied. This finding suggests that a surprisingly large number of brain areas are involved in the decision-making process.
Dr. Anne Churchland of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and IBL stated that the study provided unprecedented insight into how many cells collectively support decision-making. The researchers believe that scaling this brain activity map to human brains is ethically prohibited, but findings from animal brains are expected to be applicable to humans due to brain similarities.
Previous research suggests that human and animal behavior are similarly influenced by prior beliefs, implying that the underlying brain circuits might be similar. This research could potentially aid in understanding conditions like schizophrenia and autism, which are thought to be caused by differences in brain expectation coding. The ability to combine prior beliefs with evidence is disrupted in psychiatric diseases, and this research could lead to a deeper understanding of how these diseases alter brain circuits.
The international team of neuroscientists working on the project includes researchers from the University of Minnesota. They developed an AI-driven closed-loop system combining prefrontal brain stimulation and EEG neurofeedback to enhance cognitive performance. This research is a significant step towards understanding the complexities of the human brain and could lead to breakthroughs in the treatment of various neurological and psychiatric conditions.
