Recent research shows that our brain declines later than previously thought. Instead of after our 25th year of life, it happens when we are between the ages of 30 and 40. The researchers published their results in Nature Neuroscience.
The researchers discovered, among other things, that the connections in our brain become increasingly faster: from two meters per second in children aged four to four meters per second in people aged between thirty and forty. A doubling, in other words. Only after that age does it slow down. "Our brain continues to develop a lot longer than we thought," the lead author said.
The researchers also see differences between brain regions. The frontal lobe, the front part of our brain responsible for thinking and performing tasks, develops longer than an area responsible for movement. The author explains, "We already knew this thanks to previous research, but now we have concrete data." The development of speed is not a straight line, but rather a curve.
The researchers obtained the data by making precise measurements using an electrode grid that some epilepsy patients get placed on their brain (under the skull) in preparation for epilepsy surgery. The grid consists of 60-100 electrodes that can measure brain activity. "By stimulating the electrodes using short currents, we can see which brain areas respond abnormally. Thus, we can create a map of which areas should and should not be removed during epilepsy surgery," the senior author said.
The fact that the data could also teach the researchers something about how our brain works was a new insight. "We have been collecting this data for about 20 years," the author said. "It wasn't until a few years ago that we realized we could use the unaffected areas as a model for the healthy human brain."
The lead author adds: "If you stimulate an electrode in one area, a reaction occurs in another. That lets you know the two areas are connected. You can then measure how long it takes for the reaction to occur. If you know the distance between the two different brain regions, you can calculate how fast the signal is transmitted."
The results of this study provide important information about our central nervous system. Scientists have long been trying to map the connections in our brain. With this information, experts can make more realistic computer models of our brain.
For these models to work, in addition to information about the connections, precise values concerning the speed of those connections are needed. "We now have these numbers for the very first time," the senior author explains, "With our data, researchers can make new and better computer models that increase our understanding of the brain. We expect our work to not only advances epilepsy research, but also research into other brain disorders."
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-023-01272-0
http://sciencemission.com/site/index.php?page=news&type=view&id=publications%2Fdevelopmental_6&filter=22
Brain decline comes later than previously thought
- 566 views
- Added
Latest News
How molecules in a cell int…
By newseditor
Posted 02 Dec
Genetic programmes underlie…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Dec
APOE variant neurons releas…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Dec
Reducing vitamin B5 slows b…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Dec
Mouse brain is 'rewired' du…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Dec
Other Top Stories
Regulation of remyelination by endothelin receptor
Read more
Mechanism of synapse elimination in Alzheimer's disease
Read more
Visual stress could be a symptom of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Read more
How can I tell if she's lying?
Read more
DNA repair factor BRCA1 depletion occurs in Alzheimer brains and im…
Read more
Protocols
Temporally multiplexed imag…
By newseditor
Posted 02 Dec
Efficient elimination of ME…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Dec
Personalized drug screening…
By newseditor
Posted 30 Nov
Multi-chamber cardioids unr…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
Microfluidic-based skin-on-…
By newseditor
Posted 28 Nov
Publications
APOE4-promoted gliosis and…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Dec
Sensory neuronal STAT3 is c…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Dec
Vitamin B5 supports MYC onc…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Dec
Longitudinal evolution of d…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Dec
Pre-RNA splicing in metabol…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Dec
Presentations
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
RNA structure and functions
By newseditor
Posted 19 Oct
Posters
A chemical biology/modular…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Aug
Single-molecule covalent ma…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jul
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar