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Neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University claim to have discovered a previously unknown mechanism for neuron communication. Using electric fields, neurons are able to activate other nearby neurons even when there is no physical connection between the cells. In one test, the scientists used a hippocampal slice of a mouse brain, and found that after cutting the slice in half and separating the pieces, they were able to induce a signal in one half which could bridge the gap and generate activity in the other.
AIUI, we've known the brain produces and can be influenced by electric fields for decades, so this doesn't seem particularly surprising, although it's still rather interesting if it helps to truly understand what's going on. Personally, I'm wondering if this will allow a brain-computer interface without drilling through the skull to implant electrodes... :)
Summary available at ScienceAlert.com
Research paper: Slow periodic activity in the longitudinal hippocampal slice can selfâpropagate nonâsynaptically by a mechanism consistent with ephaptic coupling
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 21 2019, @10:51PM (2 children)
Poor mouse.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 22 2019, @03:29AM
It was trying to take over the world, Narf!.
(Score: 2) by acid andy on Friday February 22 2019, @05:05PM
Hmm yeah, assuming they justify this mouse slaughter on the grounds that the knowledge may one day save human lives, I'd like to know, to the people involved in this sort of research, how many mouse lives are equivalent to the value of one human life? It must be more than a thousand. Would it be a million? A hundred million?
If a cat has kittens, does a rat have rittens, a bat bittens and a mat mittens?