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The trait that shows how intelligent we are

2023-07-23 17:19:00, Lifestyle CNA

A group of scientists from Australia claim that brain geometry can "unlock" the secrets of intelligence.

A clever idea or a good line will most likely show how clever you are. However, this is also related to the geometry of the brain, as researchers from Australia argue. According to the relevant study, published in Nature, the geometric architecture that exists within the brain appears to play a role in human cognition, emotion and behavior. In fact, experts argue that the influence of brain geometry is such that it even exceeds the influence of the brain's complex neural connections.

The human brain consists of billions of electrically excitable neurons, which receive, process and transmit information through electrical and chemical signals, forming countless neural pathways. Each new experience creates a new pathway, potentially changing future behavior. These pathways are strengthened with repeated experiences and can be consolidated into a learned skill with further repetition.

To reach their conclusions, the Australian researchers took more than 10,000 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, analyzing patterns of brain vibrations and oscillations as the subjects performed various tasks designed to probe the human brain.

"The oscillations of the brain are determined by its structural, geometric and anatomical characteristics", explains Dr. Kevin Aquino of BrainKey and the University of Sydney and a co-author of the study.

By comparing different patterns of activity in brain models, the researchers isolated and examined the effects of brain shape, finding that the brain's geometry, ie its outline and curvature, significantly influenced its function, much like the shape of a drum determines the sounds it can produce.

"We found that oscillations dependent on the brain's geometry represented the strongest anatomical constraint on its function," said the study's lead author, Professor Alex Fornito from Monash. "Using mathematical models, we confirmed that the close relationship between geometry and function is driven by brain wave activity, which dominates the entire brain, just as the shape of a lake is affected by the ripples formed by a falling pebble," he added.

Experts claim that the new findings will contribute to a better understanding of brain function and aging. "These findings open the way to understanding how the brain works, as well as the risk it faces for the development of neurological and also mental diseases," he concludes.

"This study contradicts the previously held view that different tasks take place in specific areas of increased brain activity, proving that previous studies may have managed to highlight only the tip of the iceberg in terms of brain function," commented Dr. James Pang, a psychologist at Monash University in Australia.

"We know that certain thoughts or sensations trigger activity in specific parts of the brain, but this study reveals that structured patterns of activity are evoked almost throughout the brain," he concluded./ CNA