Brain wave trajectories challenge area-specific notion of brain activity

Our understanding of brain activity has traditionally been linked to specific brain areas – an area associated with speech, vision, etc. – but Belgian scientists say this view may be overly rigid. Their experiments reveal waves of activity across the entire cerebral cortex when a given task is initiated.

“The brain can be studied on various scales,” said researcher David Alexander. “You have the neurons, the circuits between the neurons, theBrodmann areas – brain areas that correspond to a certain function – and the entire cortex. Traditionally, scientists looked at local activity when studying brain activity, for example, activity in the Brodmann areas. To do this, you take EEG’s [electroencephalograms] to measure the brain’s electrical activity while a subject performs a task and then you try to trace that activity back to one or more brain areas.”

In their new study, Alexander and co-researcher Cees van Leeuwen decided to explore the activity in the cerebral cortex as a whole. “The brain is a non-stop, always-active system,” explained van Leeuwen. “When we perceive something, the information does not end up in a specific part of our brain. Rather, it is added to the brain’s existing activity. If we measure the electrochemical activity of the whole cortex, we find wave-like patterns. This shows that brain activity is not local but rather that activity constantly moves from one part of the brain to another. The local activity in the Brodmann areas only appears when you average over many such waves.”

The researchers say their experiments at KU Leuven in Belgium revealed that each activity wave in the cerebral cortex is unique. “When someone repeats the same action, such as drumming their fingers, the motor centre in the brain is stimulated,” said Alexander. “But with each individual action, you still get a different wave across the cortex as a whole.”

The researchers speculate that perhaps the person was more engaged in the action the first time than he was the second time, or perhaps he had something else on his mind, or had a different intention for the action. The direction of the waves is also meaningful, according to Alexander. “Activity waves related to orienting move differently in children – more prominently from back to front – than in adults. With further research, we hope to unravel what these different wave trajectories mean.”

Related:
Discuss this article in our forum
Rhythmic nature of consciousness probed
Neuroscientists observe “novel” activity in brain during sleep
Inaccuracy of brain’s language processing revealed
Sports brain injury may actually be an autoimmune phenomenon

Source: KU Leuven

, ,

Comments are closed.

Disney Runaway Brain Lot Of 3 Medicom UDF Kubrick Miracle Action Figures Mickey picture

Disney Runaway Brain Lot Of 3 Medicom UDF Kubrick Miracle Action Figures Mickey

$250.00



What If Beast and The Thing Continued to Mutate? #37 Marvel Comics 1983 Unopened picture

What If Beast and The Thing Continued to Mutate? #37 Marvel Comics 1983 Unopened

$100.00



Unopened Pack Brain Straining Doodlewonkers Puzzle and Game Activity Cards picture

Unopened Pack Brain Straining Doodlewonkers Puzzle and Game Activity Cards

$2.49



1995 DC Batman Metal Gold & Silver Blasters & Holo's - U Pick - Complete Ur Set picture

1995 DC Batman Metal Gold & Silver Blasters & Holo's - U Pick - Complete Ur Set

$1.99



2013 Bionic Collection Woman Rittenhouse Singles YOU PICK SET BREAK Lee Majors picture

2013 Bionic Collection Woman Rittenhouse Singles YOU PICK SET BREAK Lee Majors

$1.00



AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #8 CGC 3.5  1ST LIVING BRAIN FANTASTIC FOUR JACK KIRBY picture

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #8 CGC 3.5 1ST LIVING BRAIN FANTASTIC FOUR JACK KIRBY

$424.99



1995 BATMAN FOREVER  METAL FLEER  BASE & INSERTS SEE DROP DOWN MENU picture

1995 BATMAN FOREVER METAL FLEER BASE & INSERTS SEE DROP DOWN MENU

$1.00



Professor Murphy's Metal Puzzle Brain Teasers Child Play Mind Bender Trick Magic picture

Professor Murphy's Metal Puzzle Brain Teasers Child Play Mind Bender Trick Magic

$14.99



Brain Boy # 6 CBCS ( 8.5 ) 1963 Dell - Key Last Issue - Painted Cover picture

Brain Boy # 6 CBCS ( 8.5 ) 1963 Dell - Key Last Issue - Painted Cover

$113.37



Girl Genius #11 HB : Agatha Heterodyne and the Hammerless Bell picture

Girl Genius #11 HB : Agatha Heterodyne and the Hammerless Bell

$30.00



Powered by WordPress. Designed by WooThemes