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Somatosensory Cortex

All articles tagged with #somatosensory cortex

science13 hours ago•3 min saved

Early Brain Signals Drive Decisions, Hinting at a Smarter, Greener AI

UIUC researchers show that decision-making engages early sensory brain regions via feedback from higher areas, challenging the idea of a strictly bottom-up process and suggesting that AI could be made more energy-efficient by emulating brain-wide feedback loops. The findings, derived from mouse experiments and published in PNAS, are not a turnkey blueprint but point to new directions for AI architectures and future research into brain timing and neural activity.

via ScienceDaily|

#ai #brain-feedback #decision-making

science26 days ago•7 min saved

Circular brain waves coordinate senses and actions as a neural clock

Scientists report a new class of traveling spiral brain waves that rotate across the cortex, driven by a circular wiring pattern in the somatosensory region and mirrored across hemispheres to connect sensory, motor, and subcortical areas. In mice, a whisker puff evokes clockwise waves whose shape shifts with arousal and task performance, suggesting these waves function as a spatiotemporal clock to sequence sensation and action and potentially guide motor learning. The findings, from cortex-wide imaging and deep-recordings, hint at a global brain mechanism that coordinates perception and movement, though its presence in humans remains to be confirmed.

via Neuroscience News|

#cross-hemispheric #science #sensorimotor-integration

science2 months ago•7 min saved

Brain Circuit May Turn Off Chronic Pain, Study Suggests

Researchers identified a tiny brain region called the caudal granular insular cortex (CGIC) that acts as a switch determining whether pain fades or becomes chronic. In animal experiments, silencing this pathway prevented chronic pain from forming and could even erase it after onset by interrupting signals to the somatosensory cortex and spinal cord. The findings suggest targeted brain-cell interventions or brain-machine interfaces as potential, opioid-sparing treatments, though applicability to humans remains to be studied.

via ScienceDaily|

#brain-machine-interfaces #caudal-granular-insular-cortex #chronic-pain

science10 months ago•4 min saved

Certain Brain Layers Strengthen with Age

New research indicates that certain layers of the brain's somatosensory cortex actually grow stronger with age, suggesting that neuroplasticity persists into older age and that the brain can adapt and strengthen through use, challenging the idea that brain degeneration is inevitable with aging.

via ScienceAlert|

#aging-research #brain-adaptation #brain-aging

neuroscience2 years ago•3 min saved

"Unveiling the Tactile Influence on Time Perception through Optogenetics"

A new study using optogenetics has revealed that the perception of time is intertwined with the sense of touch, with the somatosensory cortex playing a dual role in processing both tactile sensations and time perception. The research demonstrates that the perception of time is rooted in a widespread network of brain areas, shedding light on the intricate interplay between the sense of touch and the sense of time. This insight opens new avenues for understanding the complex relationship between sensing the external world and sensing time.

via SciTechDaily|

#neuroscience #optogenetics #sensory-experiences

neuroscience2 years ago•3 min saved

"Optogenetics Study Unveils Touch's Influence on Time Perception"

A groundbreaking study published in Nature Communications reveals a link between the sense of touch and time perception, demonstrating the crucial role of the somatosensory cortex in how we perceive the duration of tactile experiences. Utilizing optogenetics, researchers found that increasing neuronal activity in this brain region led to altered perceptions of both intensity and duration of tactile stimuli in rats. The study challenges the traditional view of time perception and suggests an integrated approach to understanding sensory experiences, while also providing a theoretical framework for linking neural processes to subjective experiences.

via PsyPost|

#neuroscience #optogenetics #sensory-processing

neuroscience3 years ago•2 min saved

Mapping the Body: How the Brain Creates a Miniature Representation.

The homunculus is a miniature map of the body that exists in the somatosensory cortex of the brain and is responsible for mapping out the body. Different parts of the body take up different amounts of space in the homunculus, depending on how sensitive they are. The homunculus was discovered through years of research and experiments on animals and humans. It has helped researchers to understand the relationship between brain functions and movement and to study the effects of brain damage on movement and sensation in corresponding body parts. The homunculus has also been used to explain some neurological disorders, such as Phantom Limb Pain.

via PsyPost|

#brain #homunculus #neurology