Like all areas of research, the more we learn about the brain and different neural processes, the more questions researchers are then left with and the more doors open in the field of neuroscientific research. Neuroscience started with first trying to understand the brain as a whole at a macro level. The more scientists learned though, the more they were able to shrink the area of focus from the brain as a whole, the different parts and structures of the brain, to the then the neural circuits, and now even at the cellular and molecular level. As each new discovery and finding, then leads researchers down a new path to further understand that system at a smaller scale reducing their focus of study and increasing their understanding of the process.
For example, throughout the paper, “Facing the Challenge of Mammalian Neural Microcircuits, Taking a Few Breaths May Help”, the authors break down the importance of studying the microcircuits that make up the much larger neural connections and pathways in the brain. Jordan Skach, who is a doctoral candidate at Rosalind Franklin described how the lab he is currently a part of uses this concept of neural microcircuits to help better understand the process of breathing specifically rhythmogenesis. As through studying these microcircuits, they were able to break down the process into its individual parts and get a much clearer understanding of each part and its function within the large macro neural circuit. What they then were able to do identity the CPGs that are responsible for the generation of breathing rhythms in mammals which make up the preBOTC complex responsible for breathing rhythmogenesis. From this they were able to look at individual and neurons part of this microcircuit and identify their processing and computational function within the process of breathing rhythm generation. Which in turn provides him and the team he works alongside with a much better understanding of the neural processes, and circuitry involved with the development of breathing rhythmogenesis.
And like breathing, these neural microcircuits make up every different neural process within the brain if studied can provide a great basis of understanding fro each neural process. For example, researchers from China had recently began looking at the different neural processes involved with corollary discharge and efference copy as outlined in the article “Faulty Brain Processes Behind Hearing Voices in Schizophrenia”. The author of the article mentions how through some EEG research, a team of researchers in China were able to find that in patients with schizophrenia who experience auditory hallucinations, these patients failed to show the activation of corollary discharge used to suppress the sound of their own voice when engaged in conversation. And what they also found was that instead of suppressing their inner voice, it was rather amplified through an enhanced efference copy response in the brain. And so, what the researchers had concluded from these results was the how these impairments in the corollary discharge and efference copy processes involved in hearing and speaking must have some sort of contribution to the development auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia.
This then opens the door to many different avenues of research within these processes in trying the understand what might be a root cause for these auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia. Specifically, now that researchers may have identified what precession are involved, next they can look at the microcircuits involved within each of these processes and the functions of each of those microcircuits in each process. This in turn can provide researchers with a much better understanding of of each process along with the role each microcircuit plays within that process. Which if understood, may lead to better understanding of how each microcircuit and process is involved within different neurological diseases and even better targeted therapy treatments for these diseases.
References
Feldman, J. L., & Kam, K. (2015). Facing the challenge of mammalian neural microcircuits: taking a few breaths may help. The Journal of Physiology, 593(1), 3–23. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2014.277632
Turner, C. (2024, October 3). Faulty brain processes behind hearing voices in schizophrenia. Neuroscience News. https://neurosciencenews.com/auditory-hallucinations-schizophrenia-27772/
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