Researchers ID brain cells that streamline sensory info
New research in monkeys may provide a clue about how the brain manages vast amounts of information and remembers what it needs. Researchers have identified brain cells that streamline and simplify sensory information ? markedly reducing the brain’s workload. “When you need to remember people you’ve just met at a meeting, the brain probably doesn’t memorize each person’s facial features to help you identify them later,” says Sam Deadwyler, Ph.D., a Wake Forest neuroscientist and study investigator. “Instead, it records vital information, such as their hairstyle, height, or age, all classifications that we are familiar with from meeting people in general. Our research suggests how the brain might do this, which could lead to ways to improve memory in humans.”