Content
How your neurons team up: A new study
30.11.2023 00:30
Updated: 13.05.2024 21:22
Scientists have found that a part of the brain related to memory and combining senses also plays a role in processing social signals.
The ventrolateral prefrontal cortex integrates faces and voices, and a new study shows that it also processes the identity of the speaker and the expressions conveyed by facial expressions and vocalizations.
The VLPFC is larger in primates like humans and macaques.
How it was discovered
In the study, researchers presented macaques with videos of other macaques showing friendly, aggressive, or neutral vocalizations and expressions.
They monitored the activity of over 400 neurons in the VLPFC and discovered that individual cells didn't strongly react to specific expressions or identities.
However, when the neurons were analyzed together, certain patterns of activity emerged that allowed the researchers to decode the expressions and identities in the videos.
These findings highlight the significance of the VLPFC in processing social situations.
The researchers anticipate that their approach will inspire other scientists to analyze the collective activity of neurons when investigating how the brain integrates faces and voices.
Why it's important
Understanding how the prefrontal cortex processes visual and auditory information is important for object recognition and effective communication.
Studying this information can provide insights into speech and communication disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders, where the combination of sensory stimuli may be altered.
By comprehending the specific features that neurons extract from faces and voices, researchers can improve their understanding of these disorders and potentially develop new interventions.
