Evidence of a predictive coding hierarchy in the human brain listening to speech - Nature Human Behaviour
Current machine learning language algorithms make adjacent word-level predictions. In this work, Caucheteux et al. show that the human brain probably uses long-range and hierarchical predictions, taking into account up to eight possible words into the future.
Multimodal MR-imaging reveals large-scale structural and functional connectivity changes in profound early blindness
In the setting of profound ocular blindness, numerous lines of evidence demonstrate the existence of dramatic anatomical and functional changes within the brain. However, previous studies based on a variety of distinct measures have often provided inconsistent findings. To help reconcile this issue, we used a multimodal magnetic resonance (MR)-based imaging approach to provide complementary structural and functional information regarding this neuroplastic reorganization. This included gray matter structural morphometry, high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) of white matter connectivity and integrity, and resting state functional connectivity MRI (rsfcMRI) analysis. When comparing the brains of early blind individuals to sighted controls, we found evidence of co-occurring decreases in cortical volume and cortical thickness within visual processing areas of the occipital and temporal cortices respectively. Increases in cortical volume in the early blind were evident within regions of parietal cortex. Investigating white matter connections using HARDI revealed patterns of increased and decreased connectivity when comparing both groups. In the blind, increased white matter connectivity (indexed by increased fiber number) was predominantly left-lateralized, including between frontal and temporal areas implicated with language processing. Decreases in structural connectivity were evident involving frontal and somatosensory regions as well as between occipital and cingulate cortices. Differences in white matter integrity (as indexed by quantitative anisotropy, or QA) were also in general agreement with observed pattern changes in the number of white matter fibers. Analysis of resting state sequences showed evidence of both increased and decreased functional connectivity in the blind compared to sighted controls. Specifically, increased connectivity was evident between temporal and inferior frontal areas. Decreases in functional connectivity were observed between occipital and frontal and somatosensory-motor areas and between temporal (mainly fusiform and parahippocampus) and parietal, frontal, and other temporal areas. Correlations in white matter connectivity and functional connectivity observed between early blind and sighted controls showed an overall high degree of association. However, comparing the relative changes in white matter and functional connectivity between early blind and sighted controls did not show a significant correlation. In summary, these findings provide complimentary evidence, as well as highlight potential contradictions, regarding the nature of regional and large scale neuroplastic reorganization resulting from early onset blindness.
If indeed adaptive behaviors observed in the blind are intimately related to changes in the overall structural and functional organization of the brain, evidence of increased morphological changes (e.g. gray matter volume or structural hypertrophy) and connectivity (white matter projections and functional connectivity) may be indicative of enhanced organization and facilitation of information processing occurring locally and/or between remote brain regions
Neuroprosthetics (also called neural prosthetics) is a discipline related to neuroscience and biomedical engineering concerned with developing neural prostheses. They are sometimes contrasted with a brain–computer interface, which connects the brain to a computer rather than a device meant to replace missing biological functionality
The columnar organization of the neocortex - PubMed
The modular organization of nervous systems is a widely documented principle of design for both vertebrate and invertebrate brains of which the columnar organization of the neocortex is an example. The classical cytoarchitectural areas of the neocortex are composed of smaller units, local neural cir …
Neurogenesis is the process by which nervous system cells, the neurons, are produced by neural stem cells (NSCs). It occurs in all species of animals except the porifera (sponges) and placozoans.[1] Types of NSCs include neuroepithelial cells (NECs), radial glial cells (RGCs), basal progenitors (BPs), intermediate neuronal precursors (INPs), subventricular zone astrocytes, and subgranular zone radial astrocytes, among others.[1]
Neurogenesis is most active during embryonic development and is responsible for producing all the various types of neurons of the organism, but it continues throughout adult life in a variety of organisms.[1] Once born, neurons do not divide (see mitosis), and many will live the lifespan of the animal
The consciousness and binding problem is the problem of how objects, background and abstract or emotional features are combined into a single experience.[1]
The binding problem refers to the overall encoding of our brain circuits for the combination of decisions, actions, and perception. The binding problem encompasses a wide range of different circuits and can be divided into subsections that will be discussed later on. The binding problem is considered a "problem" due to the fact that no complete model exists.
The binding problem can be subdivided into four problems of perception, used in neuroscience, cognitive science and philosophy of mind. Including general considerations on coordination,the Subjective unity of perception, and variable binding
Human beings routinely help strangers at costs to themselves. Sometimes the help offered is generous—offering more than the other expects. The proximate mechanisms supporting generosity are not well-understood, but several lines of research suggest ...
Human beings routinely help strangers at costs to themselves. Sometimes the help offered is generous—offering more than the other expects. The proximate mechanisms supporting generosity are not well-understood, but several lines of research suggest a role for empathy. In this study, participants were infused with 40 IU oxytocin (OT) or placebo and engaged in a blinded, one-shot decision on how to split a sum of money with a stranger that could be rejected. Those on OT were 80% more generous than those given a placebo. OT had no effect on a unilateral monetary transfer task dissociating generosity from altruism. OT and altruism together predicted almost half the interpersonal variation in generosity. Notably, OT had twofold larger impact on generosity compared to altruism. This indicates that generosity is associated with both altruism as well as an emotional identification with another person.
Generosity may be part of the human repertoire to sustain cooperative relationships [19]. Several neural mechanisms likely support generosity. OT can induce dopamine release in ventromedial regions associated with reward [52] reinforcing generosity. A recent fMRI study of donations to charities [28], showed increased activation in the subgenual region of the cingulate cortex (Brodmann area 25) when making a charitable donation compared to receiving a monetary reward
Anterior cingulate reflects susceptibility to framing... : NeuroReport
neral role in behavioral adjustments. We hypothesized, therefore, that the anterior cingulate cortex is also involved in the ‘framing effect’. Our hypothesis was tested by using a binary attractiveness judgment task (‘liking’ versus ‘nonliking’) during functional magnetic resonance imaging. We found that the framing-related anterior cingulate cortex activity predicted how strongly susceptible an individual was to a biased response. Our results support the hypothesis that paralimbic processes are crucial for predicting an individual's susceptibility to framing....
We hypothesized, therefore, that the anterior cingulate cortex is also involved in the ‘framing effect’. Our hypothesis was tested by using a binary attractiveness judgment task (‘liking’ versus ‘nonliking’) during functional magnetic resonance imaging. We found that the framing-related anterior cingulate cortex activity predicted how strongly susceptible an individual was to a biased response. Our results support the hypothesis that paralimbic processes are crucial for predicting an individual's susceptibility to framing.
Social Decision-Making: Insights from Game Theory and Neuroscience
By combining the models and tasks of Game Theory with modern psychological and neuroscientific methods, the neuroeconomic approach to the study of social decision-making has the potential to extend our knowledge of brain mechanisms involved in ...
Research has already begun to illustrate how social exchange can act directly on the brain's reward system, how affective factors play an important role in bargaining and competitive games, and how the ability to assess another's intentions is related to strategic play. These findings provide a fruitful starting point for improved models of social decision-making, informed by the formal mathematical approach of economics and constrained by known neural mechanisms.
