Neuroscientists from the French Institute of health and medical research (INSERM) found that the brain anticipates the clash with the new situation, creating a special kind of neural network, which is “prepared” for any eventuality. The article was published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology.
Researchers have studied the nature of one of the most notable features of the behavior of primates, including humans. We are talking about the ability to adapt their behaviour to new conditions in a manner that was not intended by evolution. It turned out that this property of the brain provided the neural connections, forming a “reservoir” network, in which multiple pulses bounce off each other or mixed together. All this forms a unique combination of pulses which can be used to generate correct behavior in a new situation.
Scientists demonstrated this using the model of the reservoir network, which was trained to perform a new task. Then, the neuroscientists compared the activity of neurons in the model with the work of the prefrontal cortex in experimental monkeys and found similarities in the activity of nerve cells.
The prefrontal cortex controls cognitive and motor activity, is involved in creating action plans, decision-making, social behavior and interactions.
