1 region, 2 functions: Brain cells' multitasking key to understanding overall brain function
06 Mar 2013
1 region, 2 functions: Brain cells' multitasking key to understanding overall brain function
A region of the brain known to play a key role in visual and spatial processing has a parallel function: sorting visual information into categories, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Chicago.
Primates are known to have a remarkable ability to place visual stimuli into familiar and meaningful categories, such as fruit or vegetables. They can also direct their spatial attention to different locations in a scene and make spatially-targeted movements, such as reaching.
The study, published in the March issue of Neuron, shows that these very different types of information can be simultaneously encoded within the posterior parietal cortex. The research brings scientists a step closer to understanding how the brain interprets visual stimuli and solves complex tasks.
"We found that multiple functions can be mapped onto a particular region of the brain and even onto individual brain cells in that region," said study author David Freedman, PhD, assistant professor of neurobiology at the University of Chicago. "These functions overlap. This particular brain area, even its individual neurons, can independently encode both spatial and cognitive signals."
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