We start from the beginning.
In 2005, May-Britt and Edvard Moser discovered the so-called retinal cells. These are neurons that make a kind of mental map in our brain. Among other things, it helps us navigate.
For this result, the researchers in the brain Received the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
right Now, In a groundbreaking new studyThey took it all further.
For the first time, researchers have been able to discover how thousands of neurons work together to shape our sense of place.
– This is Grid Cell 2.0. Before we could study one cell at a time, but now we can study the whole community, Edward Moser tells NRK.
He believes this is the beginning of a new era in brain research.
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Using mice and advanced mathematical models, they were able to find answers.
The researchers explained that this network of cells working together is the reason why we humans, among other things, are able to solve super-complex tasks in such a short time.
This has always been a well-known theory, but it has only now been proven.
The brain will understand better
The study will be the first evidence of how our brain regulates higher mental function.
According to the researchers, the discovery is interesting for several reasons:
childrene has been able to confirm one of the most important theories in brain research.
Edward Moser compares it to the theory of black holes in space.
In the first half of the twentieth century, the theory of black holes was launched, but no one was able to see them. This was only done two years ago. In the same way, we finally got the technology we needed to measure the thousands of cells in the brain, he says.
New technology has finally made it possible to test the old theory.
Additionally, the discovery could have a lot to say for future disease mapping.
When we can see how the large networks in the brain work together, we may want to understand how the normal brain works. This, in turn, will lead to seeing what is not normal. These could be diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, mental disorders, etc., says Moser.
A lot has happened in ten years
The new study was conducted at the Kavli Institute in NTNU, and is an international collaboration. The Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Trondheim was of particular interest.
They were responsible for parts of the brain’s data decoding.
Also called the new tool Neuropixels, may have contributed to the breakthrough. May-Britt Moser says that neuroscience has changed a lot in the past 10 years.
– When we started, we were able to manage with a small degree in biology. But today you have to know both mathematics, physics and programming. We are so grateful to be a part of this.
A good reason to smile: The research team of May Britt and Edvard Moser made another great discovery: they were able to confirm one of the most important theories in brain research.
international attention
The new study was published in the famous journal temper natureand and she Peer review by four research fellows.
Moser says they’ve already received a lot of feedback, and that everyone has been positive.
– There are two things in particular that stand out. The discovery helps us understand how the brain works in theory, but it’s also a demonstration of new technology.
Even if one mystery is solved, a host of new questions still emerge, according to the researchers.
When asked to evaluate this result against the reticulocyte discovery in 2005, May-Britt Moser had a very clear answer:
– Waaaay Beyond, award-winning brain researcher fights back.
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