Neuron: What connects our feelings and thoughts

Our ability to think, decide, remember recent events, etc.
comes from our brain's neocortex
.
Now, neuroscientists at the University of California, Irvine, have discovered key aspects of
the mechanisms behind these functions.
Their findings may ultimately help improve the treatment
of certain neuropsychiatric disorders and brain damage.
Their study was published in the journal Neuron
.

Scientists have long known that the neocortex integrates so-called feed-forward and feedback information streams
.

"Here's a simple example when you want to cross a busy road," said corresponding author Dr.

The interplay between high-level and lower-level systems also allows us to remember what
we see when we glance to both sides as we gather information.

Until now, scientists weren't sure how neurons in the brain were involved in these complex processes
.

Lur said: "Scientists have known that combining multiple senses can enhance the response of
neurons.

He noted that research data suggests that if one information flow is sensory and the other is cognitive, then the same principle applies
.

Understanding these processes is critical
to developing future treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders such as sensory processing disorders, schizophrenia, and ADHD, as well as strokes and other neocortical injuries.

Luhr is a researcher at
the University of California, Irvine Center for Learning and Memory Neurobiology, the Center for Neural Circuit Mapping and the Center for Hearing Research.

Doctoral candidate Daniel Rindner, who completed all neuronal recording and biological tissue work, is the paper's first author
.

About UC Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and has been named one
of the top ten public universities in the United States by U.
S.
News & World Report.
The university has produced 5 Nobel laureates and is known for
academic achievement, first-rate research, innovation and anteater mascots.
Under the leadership of Chancellor Howard Gilman, UCI has more than 36,000 students offering 224 degree programs
.
Located in one of the safest and most economically dynamic neighborhoods in the world, it is the second largest employer in Orange County, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion
to the statewide.
For more information about UCI, visit the www.
uci.
edu
.

essay

Cell-type-specific integration of feedforward and feedback synaptic inputs in the posterior parietal cortex