Discovery of hybrid brain cell sheds light on memory and facial recognition.

For many years, researchers have sought to explain the unconscious neural connections we make when we see and recognize a very familiar face. Once posed as a theory, the “grandmother neuron,” which is a “single cell at the crossroads of sensory perception and memory, capable of prioritizing an important face” has often been dismissed as simply being an impossible concept. ​

BUT now… scientists have identified a group (vs. a single cell) of neurons in the brain's temporal pole region that links face perception to long-term memory. 
 
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in animal models, the study team honed in on the temporal pole (TP) region of the brain to record responses to still images of familiar and unfamiliar faces. It’s important to note that the familiar images were of people the subjects had previously seen in person, while those who were unfamiliar were only seen in the virtual images.
 
The results: animal subjects clearly responded to the familiar images of people they recognized from their in-person encounters. Even though they were exposed to the images of unfamiliar individuals many times, their TP neuron responses were highly selective, responding to faces that the subjects had seen before more strongly than unfamiliar ones. And the neurons were quick to distinguish between known and unknown faces, almost immediately upon processing the image.
 
So what does this mean?

• In a world where so many of our experiences over the last few years are virtual (long before 2020), this could indicate that faces we see only on as images on a screen may not initiate the same neuronal activity. 
• This discovery of the TP region at the heart of facial recognition means that researchers can soon start investigating how those cells encode familiar faces.
• Scientists hope to use this information to study the TP region and its connection to other parts of the brain. 
• The research could prove helpful in better understanding and providing treatment for certain disorders not previously well understood, e.g. “face-blindness,” that may provoke other mental health conditions such as severe depression.

 
Over the past year, we’ve written a number of related articles regarding the issues incurred as a result of decreased in-person engagement and the wearing of masks that obscure facial features and might be a deterrent to cognitive functions and neuroplasticity. You can read more at: https://www.suzannegazdamd.com/blog/the-brain-behind-the-mask
 
Additional related articles in our blog library:
https://www.suzannegazdamd.com/blog/isolation-and-why-we-simply-cant-delay-addressing-it
https://www.suzannegazdamd.com/blog/our-brain-in-isolation-what-to-know-what-we-can-do
 
Please review details about the study findings as well and, as always, let us know if you have questions or would like any other information!
 
In health,
Dr. Suzanne Gazda
 
Reference:Landi, S.M., Viswanathan, P., Serene, S., Freiwald, W.A. A fast link between face perception and memory in the temporal pole. Science Magazine. 01 Jul 2021. https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2021/06/30/science.abi6671