Have you heard of the Jennifer Aniston neuron?
October 29th 2008 23:03
Signature Tune
From:Telegraph.co.uk
By Matthew Moore
'Jennifer Aniston neuron' shows how we react to celebrity faces
The faces of different celebrities spark reactions in separate cells of our brains, according to a new 'Jennifer Aniston' study that could pave the way for mind-reading technology.
The "Jennifer Aniston neuron", as it has been dubbed, helps explain why we are able to recognise familiar faces so quickly.
When shown a picture of the Friends actress, a particular cell in people's brains is fired up. Photos of other celebrities - such as Halle Berry, Tom Cruise or Oprah Winfrey - spark a reaction in entirely different cells, the study by neuroscientists at the University of Leicester showed.
The findings throw doubt on theories that humans process images using complex networks of brain cells. It appears that we assign individual cells to recognise faces we see regularly - from television stars and politicians to close friends and family.
"We can easily recognise a person in a fraction of a second, even when seen from different angles, with different sizes, colours, contrasts and under strikingly different conditions," said Professor Rodrigo Quian Quiroga, who led the study.
"But how neurons in the brain are capable of creating such an 'abstract' representation, disregarding basic visual details, is only starting to be known."
Professor Quian Quiroga says his research will help the development of "mind-reading" medical technology, such as robotic devices controlled by neural signals for paralysed patients.
The study, which involved showing pictures of famous people and landmarks to hundreds of patients and monitoring their reactions using tiny electrodes, could also help throw light on conditions such as epilepsy, Alzheimers and schizophrenia that are related to brain function and memory.
Professor Quiroga will present his research at a public lecture at the University of Leicester on Nov 4.
| 73 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
Comment by Lester Caudill
Round Politics
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
I love these little acecdotes, that's what life is all about Lester.