Revealing how division of labour occurs in the brain
Humans have evolved large, costly brains which enable the many cognitive tasks behind everything we think, feel, and do. The division of the brain into two hemispheres is probably one of the brain’s key organizational principles with left and right hemispheres anchoring specific cognitive processes, such as specialization for spatial and facial processing in the […]
The role of neurotransmitter receptors in the structure and function of the human brain
Neurons in the brain transmit signals to other cells through the release of molecules called neurotransmitters which bind to specific receptors. These receptors effectively mediate the transfer and propagation of electrical impulse from neuron to neuron, which is how brain cells communicate. A new study led by Justine Hansen at McGill University used advanced computational […]
Live brain imaging techniques reveal how the primary motor cortex responds to reward to optimize learning.
A region of the brain called the primary motor cortex (M1) is a critical site for learning motor skills (such as riding a bicycle). Moreover, reward is known to accelerate and enhance motor learning, however, it is not understood how reward exerts these effects. While reward has previously been shown to activate neurons in M1 […]