Plys and ridges of the human brain are more complex than any other in the animal kingdom, and a new study shows that this complexity can be linked to the level of brain connectivity and to our The capacities.
Research by a team from the University of California in Berkeley (UC Berkeley) examined the forms of the brain and the neural activity of 43 young people, and in particular the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and the lateral parietal cortex (LPC) – Parts of the brain that manage high -level reasoning and cognition.
Grooves and folds on the brain are known as sulfuWith the smallest grooves known as the tertiary sulci. These are the last to train as the brain develops, and the research team wanted to see how these grooves linked to cognition.
“The hypothesis is that Sulci’s formation leads to shortened distances between connected brain regions, which could lead to increased neuronal efficiency, then, in turn, individual differences in improved cognition with translation applications”. said Neuroscientist Kevin Weiner, from UC Berkeley.
The analysis revealed that each sulci had its own distinct connectivity model, and that the physical structure of some of these grooves was linked to the level of communication Between brain areas – and not only areas close to each other.
This adds to the results of a 2021 study Directed by some of the same researchers, who revealed that the depth of certain Sulci is associated with cognitive reasoning. Now we have more data to help scientists understand why it could be.
Between 60 and 70 percent of the brain’s cortex (or outer layer) is hidden inside the folds, and these models also change with age. Tertiary sulcis can also vary considerably between individuals.
“While Sulci can change its development, become more deeply or less deep and in development of thinner or thicker gray matter – probably in a way that depends on the experience – our particular configuration of Sulci is a stable individual difference: their size, their shape, their location and even, for a few sulci, whether they are present or absent,” said Silvia neuroscientific bunge, from UC Berkeley.
It clearly emerges from this research that the peaks and valleys of these brain structures are much more important than before. These are not only random folds used to wrap brains inside the skulls – and may have evolved in certain directions over time.
In the future, researchers have major projects when it comes to studying brain grooves. Finally, it is possible that a card of these sulci can help assess brain development in children and locate neurological disorders.
There is much more work to be done before it can happen, and the researchers point out that the length and depth of the folding of the brain are only two of the many factors involved with regard to our cognitive capacities.
“The cognitive function depends on variability in a variety of anatomical and functional characteristics”, ” said Bunge.
“Above all, we know that experience, like the quality of schooling, plays a powerful role in the formation of an individual’s cognitive trajectory, and that it is malleable, even in adulthood.”
Research was published in the Journal of Neuroscience.