Â
Article Date: 06 Aug 2010 – 0:00 PDT
Our belief as to whether we will likely succeed or fail at a given task – and the consequences of winning or losing – directly affects the levels of neural effort put forth in movement-planning circuits in the human cortex, according to a new brain-imaging study by neuroscientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
A paper about the research – led by Richard A. Andersen, the James G. Boswell Professor of Neuroscience at Caltech – appears in the August issue of PLoS Biology.
Research in Andersen’s laboratory includes work to understand the neural mechanisms of action planning and decision-making. The lab is working toward the development of implanted neural prosthetic devices that would serve as an interface between severely paralyzed individuals’ brain signals and artificial limbs – allowing their planned actions to control the limbs’ movements.
In particular, Andersen’s group focuses on a high-level area of the brain called the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), where sensory stimuli are transformed into movement plans.
Read in Full:Â http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/196948.php