Research recently published in the “Cell” journal shows the existence of a neural code known as phase precession in the human brain. Phase precession refers to a neurophysiological process in which neurons signal information by changing the timing in which they activate. This timing code has been observed in rodents navigating through spaces, with researchers theorizing that it may form the basis for how the brain represents sequences.
This is the first time phase precession has been observed in humans. The study was conducted by Dr. Itzhak Fried, a neurosurgery professor at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, in collaboration with associate professor of biomedical engineering Joshua Jacobs from Columbia Engineering.
For their study, the researchers conducted an analysis of direct brain recordings obtained from neurosurgical patients who carried out a virtual-reality spatial navigation task that involved finding and returning to selected buildings. The researchers measured how relative timing of neuronal action potentials corresponded to sequential spatial locations, as observed in rodents, after they had identified an internal clock in the 2 to 10 Hz frequency. The researchers then measured the activity of sole neurons by intrusively recording the brains of neurosurgical patients at UCLA.
Each of these patients suffered from drug-resistant epilepsy and had already had electrodes implanted in their brains for treatment. The patients used handheld controllers and laptops to navigate virtual environments in order to complete a spatial task that had been designed by the team of researchers. From their analysis, the researchers found that neurons often seemed to fire in harmony with slow brain waves.
They also identified phase precession in the hippocampus as the patients navigated different virtual locations. This was similar to what had been observed in rodents in a separate study. The researchers also looked for evidence that phase precession was involved in complex cognitive sequences, with their findings showing that as participants sought particular goals, phase precession was observed in the frontal cortex.
Fried, who was the co-author of the study, explained that the research could be useful in improving the treatment of disorders such as epilepsy.
Jacobs and Salman E. Qasim, who is the study’s lead author, are hopeful that establishing a model for phase precession in people will help steer research into temporal coding. The team of researchers hope to avail new avenues for decoding brain activities that rely on temporal coding by showing the existence of phase precession in various regions in the brain.
As this team furthers its research, several companies, including Brain Scientific Inc. (OTCQB: BRSF), are advancing their efforts to develop novel treatments and innovative medical devices for neurological conditions.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Brain Scientific Inc. (OTCQB: BRSF) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/BRSF
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