Wednesday, May 4, 2016

The Mysterious Properties of Von Economo Neurons


http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/multimedia/archive/00508/9680e44e-81fe-11e3-_508751c.jpgRecent studies have provided evidence that the social behavior and emotions that make us “human” can be reduced to the cellular level. Von Economo neurons (VENs) are rare brain cells that have been found to concentrate in the frontal regions in brains of highly social and evolved species such as great apes, macaque monkeys, and humans. These neurons receive neurotransmitters that are often linked to social and emotional bonding behaviors such as dopamine, serotonin, and vasopressin.






Tamar Gefen gave a talk at Loyola University Chicago on her study published in the Journal of Neuroscience  in 2015 titled "Morphometric and Histologic Substrates of Cingulate Integrity in Elders with Exceptional Memory Capacity". Her research focused on a particular group of older people known as “SuperAgers”, individuals over the age of 80 that perform memory retrieval tasks as well as or better than average 50-60 year olds. They are called “SuperAgers” because it was assumed that these individuals somehow avoided the degenerative effects of aging on memory function. One finding of the Gefen et al study is that SuperAgers showed significantly higher density of VENs in their anterior cingulate cortex than average elderly controls, giving rise to the idea that these neurons somehow contribute to the outstanding memory performance of SuperAgers. During her talk, Gefen commented that a majority of the SuperAgers she worked with shared an exuberant, extroverted personality type. Studies have suggested that this is more than just a coincidence. 
http://www.mentalhealthy.co.uk/sites/default/files/Depositphotos_10392971_XS.jpgOften in neuroscience, functionality of a specific part of the human brain is discovered through studying patients that suffer deficits or lesions in that area. In a 2006 study led by William W Seeley published in the journal Annals of Neurology, brains of individuals that suffered from frontotemporal dementia (FTD) were examined. This research found a selective loss of VENs in FTD individuals of about 69% compared to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and control individuals with no dementia. All FTD patients experienced significant changes in social behavior and emotions following diagnosis. This change may be indicative of a distinct relation between social behaviors and VENs. There is much research to be done on Von Economo neurons in order to hone in on the evolutionary benefits of these unique cells. 


Citations: 
Images: 
 http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/multimedia/archive/00508/9680e44e-81fe-11e3-_508751c.jpg
http://www.mentalhealthy.co.uk/sites/default/files/Depositphotos_10392971_XS.jpg

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. "Neurons Targeted By Dementing Illness May Have Evolved For Complex Social Cognition." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 December 2006. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061222090935.htm>.

Gefen, T., Peterson, M., Papastefan, S. T., Martersteck, A., Whitney, K., Rademaker, A., . . . Geula, C. (2015). Morphometric and Histologic Substrates of Cingulate Integrity in Elders with Exceptional Memory Capacity. Journal of Neuroscience, 35(4), 1781-1791. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.2998-14.2015
           

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