The human brain is so powerful that even intelligent computers - neural networks - are made in the image and likeness of the human brain. Therefore, the definition of the principles of our brain, all its multiple processes, continues to be the subject of numerous studies. Recently in the journal Science, a study by a group of scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) appeared that revealed new information about the inner workings of the brain and could change our understanding of how learning happens.
The study was based on a certain part of neurons - dendrites. Dendrites are long, branch-like structures that connect to a rounded cell body called a soma. Dendrites were thought to act only as conductors that transmit bursts of electrical activity from the cell body to other neurons. But a UCLA study has shown that dendrites can generate electrical bursts of their own - and do so 10 times more often than previously thought.
The researchers came to this conclusion by studying mice. Instead of implanting electrodes into the dendrites, they were placed next to the dendrites. It found that dendrites were more than five times more active than catfish when the rats slept and ten times more when they woke up.
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“There is a widespread belief in neuroscience that neurons are digital devices. They either generate a splash or they don't,”says Mayenk Mehta, senior author of the study. “These results show that dendrites don't just behave like a digital device. Dendrites do generate all-or-nothing digital bursts, but they also exhibit large analog fluctuations that deviate from this type. This is a serious stone in the garden of neurologists who have held this point of view for about 60 years.
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Since dendrites make up over 90% of nerve tissue - about 100 times that of catfish - this could mean that the human brain has 100 times the capacity previously thought.
Ultimately, this research may help medical professionals develop new treatments for neurological disorders. Research can also shed light on how learning actually happens.
“Many previous models assume that learning occurs when the cell bodies of two neurons are active simultaneously,” explains co-author Jason Moore. "Our results show that learning can occur when an input neuron is active at the same time as an active dendrite - and perhaps different parts of the dendrite can be active at different times, which suggests much more flexibility in learning than a single neuron."
ILYA KHEL