Researchers at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven) discovered for the first time what happens in the brains of animals when they learn from the visual, visual stimuli.
Over time, this experience can lead to new treatments for a number of conditions. The study, a collaboration between KU Leuven, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard was published in Neuron.
An experienced bird watcher recognizes much more detail in a bird’s feather than the average human. Thanks to extensive training, he or she can identify specific features in the feather. This learning process is not only dependent on conscious processes. Previous research has shown that when people are rewarded when visual stimuli are displayed that are not consciously recognizable, they can still see those stimuli afterwards.
While this is a well-known fact, researchers were unsure how this noninvasive visual learning is coming to fruition. To find out, Professor Wim Vanduffel and colleagues studied the brains of two rhesus monkeys before and after exposure to subconscious visual stimuli.
The researchers applied part of the reward system at the base of the brain’s gas, the ventral heating region. This includes cells that produce dopamine, a molecule that is also released when you are rewarded.
“Dopamine is a vital messenger molecule of our motor and reward systems, and is extremely important for learning and enjoyment,” says Vanduffel. Activation of the dopamine-released ventral heating region, among other things. “By stimulating the brain area directly, we can relate the activity in that area closely to complex mental thinking or behavior,” Vanduffel explains.
While the brain area was activated, the monkeys were shown almost invisible images of human faces and bodies. Because the images were so blurry and the monkeys had to perform very different and difficult actions at the same time, they could not see these images consciously.
The same process was followed during the control tests, but the brain was not stimulated.
When the monkeys received subconscious visual stimuli while the ventral heating area was stimulated, they knew the details of these images afterwards. For example, they knew whether the bodies shown were turned left or right. This was not the case when there had been no brain stimulation.
“Thanks to this experiment, we are able to show for the first time a direct causal relationship between this brain region and, as a result, also the similar link between dopamine and subconscious learning of complex visual stimuli. “
The parts in the darker color regulate, among others, dopamine production. Disturbances in this area can cause Parkinson’s disease and other conditions. | (c) Splitting
The researchers also performed a brain scan of the animals before and after the experiment. “We see the blood flow in the brain, which gives an idea of which neurons are active. The greater the blood flow, the greater the activity,” Vanduffel explains.
The scans showed that the action triggered activity in the brain’s visual cortex and in areas important for memory. “With this data, we can move in to find out what exactly is happening at a neuronal level in these brain areas, in future experiments.”
“From Freud’s 20th century ideas, the scientific community has been asking how subconscious consciousness can affect us. Thanks to the current awareness that there is a strong resemblance between people and monkeys, and new and advanced technologies, we can finally map such processes, physically. “
Disorders in the dopaminergic system can lead to a number of psychiatric and motor problems, such as depression, addiction and Parkinson’s disease. A better understanding of how this system works, in different learning styles, is therefore essential for developing targeted treatments for these conditions.
“Parkinson’s disease is a motor disorder and is caused by the death of dopamine-producing neurons. However, conventional dopamine medications may produce side effects. as they also advance the entire reward system, which not only reduces motor symptoms but can lead to addictive behavior. ” Ultimately basic research on the activity of these brain areas will lead to more focused therapies with fewer side effects.
This insight is also useful in situations such as trauma, age or oncological problems where an increase in brain plasticity, ie the ability to change, can be very helpful. “By stimulating areas of the brain that produce dopamine, we could, for example, allow people to regain their speech more quickly or improve their motor skills after an accident or illness.” this could be done even through medication, although we are still a long way from that, “Vanduffel explained.
So insights about our brains and the circumstances under which we and other prime ministers shape our world are crucial, because, as Vanduffel concludes: “you need to know how a car engine works before you can solve a problem with it. ”
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This story was published from a wire group group with no text changes. Only the headline has changed.