Cingulate Gyrus
Older news items (pre-2010) brought over from the old website
September 2009
Healthy older brains not significantly smaller than younger brains
A study using healthy older adults from Holland's long-term Maastricht Aging Study found that the 35 cognitively healthy people who stayed free of dementia showed no significant decline in gray matter, but the 30 people who showed substantial cognitive decline although still dementia-free showed a significant reduction in brain tissue in the hippocampus and parahippocampal areas, and in the frontal and cingulate cortices. The findings suggest that atrophy in the normal older brain may have been over-estimated in earlier studies, by not screening out people whose undetected, slowly developing brain disease was killing off cells in key areas.
Burgmans, S. et al. 2009. The Prevalence of Cortical Gray Matter Atrophy May Be Overestimated In the Healthy Aging Brain. Neuropsychology, 23 (5), 541-550.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-09/apa-hob090309.php
May 2009
Brain's problem-solving function at work when we daydream
An imaging study has revealed that daydreaming is associated with an increase in activity in numerous brain regions, especially those regions associated with complex problem-solving. Until now it was thought that the brain's "default network" (which includes the medial prefrontal cortex, the posterior cingulate cortex and the temporoparietal junction) was the only part of the brain active when our minds wander. The new study has found that the "executive network" (including the lateral prefrontal cortex and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex) is also active. Before this, it was thought that these networks weren’t active at the same time. It may be that mind wandering evokes a unique mental state that allows otherwise opposing networks to work in cooperation. It was also found that greater activation was associated with less awareness on the part of the subject that there mind was wandering.
Christoff, K. et al. 2009. Experience sampling during fMRI reveals default network and executive system contributions to mind wandering. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106 (21), 8719-8724.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-05/uobc-bpf051109.php
March 2009
Processing speed component of intelligence is largely inherited
A new kind of scanner used on the brains of 23 sets of identical twins and 23 sets of fraternal twins has revealed that myelin quality is under strong genetic control in the frontal, parietal, and left occipital lobes, and that myelin quality (in the cingulum, optic radiations, superior fronto-occipital fasciculus, internal capsule, callosal isthmus, and corona radiata) was correlated with intelligence scores. Myelin governs the speed with which signals can travel along the axons of neurons, that is, how fast we can process information. The researchers are now working on finding the genes that may influence myelin growth.
Chiang, M-C. et al. 2009. Genetics of Brain Fiber Architecture and Intellectual Performance. Journal of Neuroscience, 29, 2212–2224.
http://www.physorg.com/news156519927.html
December 2006
New brain region associated with face recognition
Using a new technique, researchers have found evidence for neurons that are selectively tuned for gender, ethnicity and identity cues in the cingulate gyrus, a brain area not previously associated with face processing.
Ng, M. et al. 2006. Selectivity for the configural cues that identify gender, ethnicity, and identity in human cortex. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 103 (51), 19552-19557.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061212091823.htm