The neocortex stands out as a stunning achievement of biological evolution. All mammals have this swath of tissue covering their brain, and the six layers of densely packed neurons within it handle ...

It has been known for nearly 20 years that slow, synchronous electrical waves in the brain during deep sleep support the formation of memories. Why that is, was previously unknown. How do permanent ...

Researchers from the National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS) in Japan revealed that neurons in the deepest part of the cortex exhibit experience-dependent plasticity The mammalian ...

The question of what makes modern humans unique has long been a driving force for researchers. Comparisons with our closest relatives, the Neandertals, therefore provide fascinating insights. The ...

Researchers have discovered how two brain areas, neocortex and thalamus, work together to detect discrepancies between what animals expect from their environment and actual events. These prediction ...

Researchers from the University of New Hampshire looked at the developmental process of the cerebral cortex—the outermost layer of the brain—and examined how neurons, or nerve cells, refine their ...

Contrary to previous assumptions, nerve cells in the human neocortex are wired differently than in mice. The study found that human neurons communicate in one direction, while in mice, signals tend to ...

Modern humans have a mutation that boosts the growth of neurons in the neocortex, a brain region associated with higher intelligence. This is absent in more ancient humans like Neanderthals, so it is ...

Scientists have been searching for an answer to the question of 'what makes us human'for decades. Many have looked to our close relatives, like Neanderthals or Denisovans, as a comparison. The modern ...

Neurons in the cerebral cortex, a region in the mammalian brain involved in complex motor functions, sensory perception and cognition, can have very different qualities and characteristics. These ...