The location of neurons within the cortex affects how they process information
Nov. 21 (UPI) -- How neurons process information is dependent on their positioning within the cortex, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Queensland. Until now, neuroscientists agreed the microcircuits of neurons found in the brain's outermost layer, the cortex, functioned and interacted in a standardized way. Scientists thought the miniature circuits were more or less all the same. But some researchers were skeptical. To find out if the same types of neurons performed the same functions, regardless of their location, scientists at the University of Queensland set out to measure the influence of cortex's structural characteristics on neuronal patterns. The new survey revealed a surprising level of structural variety within the cortex. Researchers found the cortex ...