New Brain Maps Redefine Our Understanding of the Brain

New Brain Maps Challenge Customary Understanding of the Prefrontal⁢ Cortex

Despite the well-established link between dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex and nearly all psychiatric disorders, our understanding of how this crucial brain region actually functions remains surprisingly limited, says Marie Carlén, professor at the Department of Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet.

Challenging Existing Brain Maps

Professor Carlén’s research ⁢group has created the first activity-based maps of the prefrontal cortex by recording and analyzing the activity ‌of over 24,000 neurons ‍in‌ awake mice.⁢ These new maps, based ⁣on neuronal‌ activity -⁣ both spontaneous and related to cognitive ⁣tasks⁣ – significantly differ‍ from traditional maps based on brain tissue ⁤structure.

“Our ‍results challenge the conventional way ‍of defining brain regions and have significant ‌implications for how we can explore the organization of the brain,” explains Marie Carlén.

Brain Activity Reflects Details Flow

the researchers discovered that the patterns of neuronal activity mirrored the hierarchical flow of information within⁤ the brain, ‌rather than ‍simply reflecting the ⁤physical structure of the⁣ tissue. neurons exhibiting slow,‍ regular activity were especially ⁣characteristic of the prefrontal cortex, which occupies the highest level ⁤in the brain’s hierarchy. ⁣This same activity pattern was also observed ⁣in areas ⁢at the top of ‌the ‌prefrontal cortex’s own⁤ internal hierarchy.Slow, regular activity is believed to be crucial for integrating information – a process central to cognitive functions like planning and reasoning.

complementary Activity Patterns​ Drive Cognition

Carlén and her team found that neurons​ involved in⁣ decision-making were concentrated in the higher‍ levels of the prefrontal hierarchy. Surprisingly, these neurons were characterized by very rapid activity patterns.

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