Neuroscience
This study has been reported in the media in a number of different locations. Today, The New York Times includes a small report about it:
[ ... Read the full article ... ]
Here is the abstract of the study, published in the journal Nature:
Quiroga RQ, Reddy L, Kreiman G, Koch C, &Fried I. Invariant visual representation by single neurons in the human brain. Nature. 2005 Jun 23; 435(7045): 1102-1107.
Computation and Neural Systems, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
It takes a fraction of a second to recognize a person or an object even when seen under strikingly different conditions. How such a robust, high-level representation is achieved by neurons in the human brain is still unclear. In monkeys, neurons in the upper stages of the ventral visual pathway respond to complex images such as faces and objects and show some degree of invariance to metric properties such as the stimulus size, position and viewing angle. We have previously shown that neurons in the human medial temporal lobe (MTL) fire selectively to images of faces, animals, objects or scenes. Here we report on a remarkable subset of MTL neurons that are selectively activated by strikingly different pictures of given individuals, landmarks or objects and in some cases even by letter strings with their names. These results suggest an invariant, sparse and explicit code, which might be important in the transformation of complex visual percepts into long-term and more abstract memories.
PMID: 15973409 [PubMed - in process]
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Anthony H. Risser | neuroscience | neuropsychology | brain
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This is one of the more interesting research studies that I've read about over the past couple of months. Please open up the link to the full article to read all about it: From today's New York Times: In Memory-Bank ‘Dialogue,’ the Brain...
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Speaker: Dr. Nicole Rust (Psychology, UPenn) Title: "Deciphering the Neural Representation of Objects Using Population-Based Approaches" Date: April 21 Time: 3:30pm Place: 1208 Bioscience Research Building (BRB) [Note:...
Neuroscience
Specialized Neurons of the Medial Temporal Lobe
This study has been reported in the media in a number of different locations. Today, The New York Times includes a small report about it:
A Neuron With Halle Berry's Name on It
By SANDRA BLAKESLEE
The New York Times
Published: July 5, 2005
Scientists have long wondered whether the brain contains "grandmother" cells - one or a few neurons that fire in response to the familiar face of your grandmother. A new study suggests that the answer may be yes.
And it is not just Grandma.
If you are a Halle Berry fan, you have a Halle Berry cell or two in your brain. Not a region, but a single cell or a small handful that fire in response to her face in various angles and poses, her body in a cat suit, the string of letters in her name and other distinct features of the actress who plays Cat Woman.
Dr. Christof Koch, a neuroscientist at the California Institute of Technology who helped conduct the study, said some neuroscientists had long argued for specialized neurons.
Others have said the brain does not have enough neurons to be that specialized, Dr. Koch said.
[ ... Read the full article ... ]
Here is the abstract of the study, published in the journal Nature:
Quiroga RQ, Reddy L, Kreiman G, Koch C, &Fried I. Invariant visual representation by single neurons in the human brain. Nature. 2005 Jun 23; 435(7045): 1102-1107.
Computation and Neural Systems, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
It takes a fraction of a second to recognize a person or an object even when seen under strikingly different conditions. How such a robust, high-level representation is achieved by neurons in the human brain is still unclear. In monkeys, neurons in the upper stages of the ventral visual pathway respond to complex images such as faces and objects and show some degree of invariance to metric properties such as the stimulus size, position and viewing angle. We have previously shown that neurons in the human medial temporal lobe (MTL) fire selectively to images of faces, animals, objects or scenes. Here we report on a remarkable subset of MTL neurons that are selectively activated by strikingly different pictures of given individuals, landmarks or objects and in some cases even by letter strings with their names. These results suggest an invariant, sparse and explicit code, which might be important in the transformation of complex visual percepts into long-term and more abstract memories.
PMID: 15973409 [PubMed - in process]
-
Anthony H. Risser | neuroscience | neuropsychology | brain
- The "face Module" Identified In Moneys?
Oooh... aah... besides the general concept of such a specialized module, it's hard for The Neurocritic to find fault with this one: A Cortical Region Consisting Entirely of Face-Selective Cells Doris Y. Tsao, Winrich A. Freiwald, Roger B. H. Tootell,...
- Your Busy Brain, While You Sleep: Way Better Than Tivo!
This is one of the more interesting research studies that I've read about over the past couple of months. Please open up the link to the full article to read all about it: From today's New York Times: In Memory-Bank ‘Dialogue,’ the Brain...
- Parkinson Disease
From an NIH press release on 04 July 2006: Dopamine Drug Leads to New Neurons and Recovery of Function in Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease In preliminary results, researchers have shown that a drug which mimics the effects of...
- Growing Neurons From Stem Cells In The Lab
A Reuters report, published in a number of different sources, including Wired News:Stem Cells Get Brainy By Reuters 04:04 PM Jun. 13, 2005 PT WASHINGTON -- Scientists working in mice said they had found a way to identify master cells in the brain...
- Neuroscience And Cognitive Science (nacs) Colloquium Series
Speaker: Dr. Nicole Rust (Psychology, UPenn) Title: "Deciphering the Neural Representation of Objects Using Population-Based Approaches" Date: April 21 Time: 3:30pm Place: 1208 Bioscience Research Building (BRB) [Note:...