Researchers at McGill University have discovered that mice with a “reset button” implanted in their brains can rapidly reorient themselves in confusing situations, offering potential insights into neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. The researchers exposed mice to a disorienting virtual world to understand the impact of visual information on the brain’s internal compass. They discovered that the Head-Direction cells that comprise the brain’s internal compass facilitate its ability to reorient in changing surroundings. The researchers believe that these findings could eventually explain how virtual reality systems impact our sense of orientation.
Alzheimer’s disease is known to cause disorientation and confusion, particularly in familiar surroundings, as one of its first self-reported cognitive symptoms. The researchers expect that their findings could play a crucial role in the early diagnosis and assessment of treatments for Alzheimer’s. The study’s results were published in the journal Nature.
Brain’s ‘Internal Compass’ Could Hold Clues to Alzheimer’s-Related Disorientation
Researchers from McGill University in Canada have discovered that introducing a “reset button” into mice brains can rapidly reorient their internal compass, which could help individuals with Alzheimer’s disease who often feel lost and disoriented. The phenomenon, which the researchers term “network gain,” could offer insight into how neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia impact mental processes.
The researchers examined how visual information affects the brain’s internal compass by subjecting mice to a disorienting virtual world while recording the neural activity in their brains. By doing so, they discovered that the Head-Direction cells comprising the brain’s internal compass facilitate its ability to reorient in changing surroundings. The researchers believe that these findings may eventually explain how virtual reality can impact people’s sense of orientation.
Alzheimer’s disease is known to cause disorientation and confusion, particularly in familiar surroundings, as one of its first self-reported cognitive symptoms. The researchers expect that their findings could play a crucial role in the early diagnosis and assessment of treatments for Alzheimer’s. The study’s results were published in the journal Nature.
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