New brain discovery offers insight into neural activity

Researchers have made a discovery about the way the brain works that could lead to new approaches to repairing and replicating its functions.

A team from the University of California – Los Angeles have analysed the structure and function of dendrites, which are key components of neurons, extending outward and transmitting electrical signals to other neurons to help form and store memories.

Previously, it was assumed that dendrites were essentially passive conduits, but this new research showed that dendrites are electrically active in animals that are moving around freely, generating nearly ten times more spikes than the body, or soma, of the neuron.

This challenges the longstanding belief that spikes in the soma are the primary way in which perception, learning and memory formation occur. Moreover, the study indicated that dendrites generate large analogue fluctuations, rather than spikes being purely binary, all-or-nothing events.

The study's senior author Mayank Mehta, a UCLA neurophysicist, said the discovery "fundamentally changes the nature of our understanding of how the brain computes information", adding that it "may pave the way for understanding and treating neurological disorders, and for developing brain-like computers".

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