PR folks at the University of California, Berkeley sent out a press release on neuronal firing patterns and not too many of us in the blogosphere picked it up.Maybe it's too elementary but I found the work interesting. Researchers there say neurons have to fire in sych and in rhythm, specifically, cortical rhythms, or oscillations. The latter 'rallies' groups of neurons in widely dispersed areas of the brain to engage in coordinated activity the way a conductor uses her baton to direct the many sections of a symphony orchestra.
They say the act of catching a ball necessitates the coordination of multiple groups of neurons to perceive the object, judge its speed and trajectory, decide when it's time to catch it and then direct the muscles in the body to grasp it before it whizzes by or drops to the ground.
I had thought that was well known but U. Cal says no, neuroscientists had not fully understood how neuron groups in widely dispersed regions of the brain first get linked together to be able to stage the concert , or act, of doing something.
The UC Berkeley findings are to be published the week of Sept. 20 in the online early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read more.
