Mathematicians are investigating how the intricate folds in the human brain – which have increased as our species has evolved – help to improve our brainpower.
The team at Nottingham Trent University wants to understand the relationship between brain shape and brainwaves, the electrical activity of neurons which send information around the body.
Scientists have been unravelling the secrets of brainwaves for more than 100 years, but much remains to be discovered about their precise role in our cognitive processes.
As part of the study, which also involves Newcastle University, the researchers will look at an intriguing yet under-explored aspect of brainwaves – the interplay between travelling waves and the intricate folds of the cortex.
The team believes that the brain’s convoluted structure, particularly prominent in mammals, might influence wave patterns and that this may explain why brains with more folds exhibit distinct wave patterns compared to smoother ones.
The researchers argue the study could have implications for understanding the evolution of cognition.
And they say monitoring brainwave activity linked to changes in brain shape also offers a promising avenue for the early detection of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s, which are known to affect brain folding.
Using cutting-edge computational techniques, integrated with the latest engineering advancements, the team will simulate cortical waves across curved brain surfaces derived from neuroimaging data.
They will investigate how the travelling waves interact with the brain’s folds and pathways and what mathematical properties define these wave patterns on complicated, curved surfaces.
Importantly, the researchers hope to answer how variations in brain structure across a range of mammalian species influence these neural activity patterns, shaping our cognitive abilities.
The work is being made possible with a Research Project Grant from the Leverhulme Trust worth almost £150,000.
“This research offers a novel framework through which to better understand cognition” said lead researcher Dr Jonathan Crofts, a mathematician in Nottingham Trent University’s School of Science and Technology.
He said: “We will develop novel computational tools to simulate wave motion across brain surfaces from different stages of evolution and investigate the effects of curvature and folding on the transport of brainwaves.
“By understanding how curvature and connectivity influence brainwave patterns, we can gain crucial insights into how the brain works at a fundamental level and how it has evolved over time.
“Comparing patterns across species, we hope to reveal how brain folding evolved to shape different cognitive abilities. For instance, certain patterns may only be observed in highly folded and developed brains and so are likely related to higher function.
“Through this improved understanding of how our brain has developed during evolution, we will be better placed to understand how it can deteriorate during ageing or disease.”
We are excited to start this new collaboration, where we can bring our knowledge of the folded shape of the brain to help Jonathan and his team on this promising project.”
Dr Yujiang Wang, Researcher, School of Computing, Newcastle University
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