Our ability to learn new things and adjust our approach based on failure and success can be credited to a multi-tasking group of neurons, or messenger cells in our brain, suggest the results of a series of new lab tests.
The study findings, published this month in the journal Science, offer fresh insight into how our brain manages to track and adjust how we function in a wide variety of situations, whether it's trying new things or working to improve skills that aren't quite up to snuff.
"Part of the magic of the human brain is that it is so flexible," says senior study author Ueli Rutishauser, PhD,, a professor and director of the Center for Neural Science and Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. "We designed our study to decipher how the brain can generalize and specialize at the same time, both of which are critical for helping us pursue a goal."
To examine this, scientists studied brain activity in 34 adults with epilepsywho previously had electrodes implanted in their brains to help pinpoint the origins of their seizures. These electrodes were in a region of the brain known as the medial frontal cortex behind the forehead, which plays a key role in tracking performance and managing mental skills.
