Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience
Also Included In: Alzheimer's / Dementia; Anxiety / Stress
Article Date: 25 Jul 2012 - 13:00 PDT
Current ratings for:
Area Of The Brain Responsible For Link Between Vision And Emotion
| Patient / Public: |  |
|
| Healthcare Prof: |  |
Neuroscientists recently discovered a new area of the brain that uniquely specializes in peripheral vision. This area could potentially be targeted in future treatments for Alzheimer's disease and panic disorders.
A team of researchers, led by Dr. Hsin-Hao Yu and Professor Marcello Rosa from Monash Univeristy's Department of Physiology, found that a brain area, called postriata, was specialized in detecting fast-moving objects in peripheral vision. Their findings were published July 24th in the journal Current Biology.
Postriata is found in a primitive part of the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is the thin gray-colored layer of nerve cells on the surface of the cerebral hemisphere, and is responsible for the advanced functions of thinking and information processing.
This newly discovered area is unique to any other visual area ever described. It has a "direct line" of communication to brain areas controlling quick reactions and emotion.
According to Dr. Yu, the recognition of this area happened during the development of the Monash Vision Group's (MVG) bionic eye. This group is devoted to develop and manufacture the direct to brain bionic eye by 2014 to test its first patients. The majority of people who are vision impaired or blind have optical nerves that are damaged, which stops signals from reaching the brain. MVG hopes to restore a sense of vision by transmitting wireless signals directly to an implant in the brain.
Experts say that this new discovery could lead to better treatments for panic disorders with agoraphobia and has the potential to extend into other medical treatments, including Alzheimer's treatment.
Dr. Yu said:
"The brain is the most complex organ in the human body and perhaps the most remarkable. These findings change how we think of the brain in terms of how visual information is processed.
This area is likely to be hyperactive in panic disorder, with agoraphobia. This knowledge could lead to treatment options for the hyperactivity, and therefore sensitivity to such disorders, particularly the fear of open spaces."
Panic disorder with agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder in which people have attacks of extreme fear and anxiety that they will end up in certain situations where help is not available or they cannot escape from. Symptoms usually include being afraid of crowds, being outside alone, or being afraid of places such as bridges where it is hard to escape.
He added:
"Correlation with previous studies also shows that prostriata is one of the first areas affected in Alzheimer's disease. This knowledge helps to explain spatial disorientation and the tendency to fall, which are among the earliest signs of a problem associated with Alzheimer's."
According to Professor Rosa, postriata has ultra-fast responses to visual stimuli, while at the same time, broadcasting information to brain areas that control attention, motor, and emotional reactions. This research challenges current ideas of how the brain processes visual information.
He concluded, "This suggests a specialized brain circuit through which stimuli in peripheral vision can be fast-tracked to command quickly coordinated physical and emotional responses."
Written by Sarah Glynn
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
Hsin-Hao Yu, Tristan A. Chaplin, Amanda J. Davies, Richa Verma, Marcello G.P. Rosa
Current Biology July 24, 2012 doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.05.029
MLA
Sarah Glynn. "Area Of The Brain Responsible For Link Between Vision And Emotion." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 25 Jul. 2012. Web.
27 Jul. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248272.php>
APA
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248272.php.
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.
'Area Of The Brain Responsible For Link Between Vision And Emotion'
Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.
If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.
All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)
Contact Our News Editors
For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.
Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:
Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.
No comments:
Post a Comment