{"id":108258,"date":"2024-09-29T07:47:51","date_gmt":"2024-09-29T00:47:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=108258"},"modified":"2024-09-29T07:47:51","modified_gmt":"2024-09-29T00:47:51","slug":"hippocampal-cells-track-pronouns-to-link-them-with-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=108258","title":{"rendered":"Hippocampal Cells Track Pronouns to Link Them With People"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><strong>Summary: <\/strong>A new study reveals that certain brain cells, known as \u201cconcept cells,\u201d in the hippocampus track pronouns to link them with the correct person in a sentence. Researchers found that these cells respond not only to a person\u2019s name or image but also to pronouns like \u201che\u201d or \u201cshe\u201d that refer to them.<\/p>\n<p>The study demonstrates how the hippocampus helps us understand language by connecting pronouns to their related nouns, a vital part of memory and comprehension. These findings offer new insights into how the brain processes language and forms memories.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Key Facts<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Brain \u201cconcept cells\u201d link pronouns like \u201che\u201d or \u201cshe\u201d to the correct person.<\/li>\n<li>The hippocampus helps connect pronouns to nouns, aiding memory and comprehension.<\/li>\n<li>This research provides new insights into how the brain processes language.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong>KNAW<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read the following sentence: \u201cDonald Trump and Kamala Harris walked into the bar, she sat down at a table.\u201d We all immediately know that it was Kamala who sat at the table, not Donald. Pronouns like \u201cshe\u201d help us to understand language, but pronouns can have multiple meanings. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Depending on the context, we understand who the pronoun is referring to. But how is it that we are so good at this, and how does our brain link pronouns with their nouns?<\/p>\n<p>To answer this question, an international team of neuroscientists, neurosurgeons, and neurologists joined forces. Doris Dijksterhuis and Matthew Self from Pieter Roelfsema\u2019s group looked together with their colleagues at the brain activity of patients with epilepsy.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><picture fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-104823\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/files\/2024\/09\/hippocampal-cells-pronouns-neurosicence.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/files\/2024\/09\/hippocampal-cells-pronouns-neurosicence-300x200.jpg.webp 300w, https:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/files\/2024\/09\/hippocampal-cells-pronouns-neurosicence-770x513.jpg.webp 770w, https:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/files\/2024\/09\/hippocampal-cells-pronouns-neurosicence-1155x770.jpg.webp 1155w, https:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/files\/2024\/09\/hippocampal-cells-pronouns-neurosicence-370x247.jpg.webp 370w, https:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/files\/2024\/09\/hippocampal-cells-pronouns-neurosicence-293x195.jpg.webp 293w, https:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/files\/2024\/09\/hippocampal-cells-pronouns-neurosicence-150x100.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" src=\"https:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/files\/2024\/09\/hippocampal-cells-pronouns-neurosicence.jpg\" alt=\"This shows a computer representation of a hippocampus brainbow.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/files\/2024\/09\/hippocampal-cells-pronouns-neurosicence.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/files\/2024\/09\/hippocampal-cells-pronouns-neurosicence-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/files\/2024\/09\/hippocampal-cells-pronouns-neurosicence-770x513.jpg 770w, https:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/files\/2024\/09\/hippocampal-cells-pronouns-neurosicence-1155x770.jpg 1155w, https:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/files\/2024\/09\/hippocampal-cells-pronouns-neurosicence-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/files\/2024\/09\/hippocampal-cells-pronouns-neurosicence-293x195.jpg 293w, https:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/files\/2024\/09\/hippocampal-cells-pronouns-neurosicence-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/> <\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">We wondered if these cells also become active when you only read a pronoun, like \u2018he\u2019 or \u2018she\u2019. Credit: Neuroscience News<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As part of their treatment, these patients were implanted with depth electrodes in their hippocampus, a brain area involved in learning and memory. The research team took advantage of this and conducted additional tests with them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can measure the activity of individual brain cells in the hippocampus while the patient performs a task,\u201d says Matthew Self. In the hippocampus, there are cells that respond to a specific person, so-called \u201cconcept cells.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA well-known example is the \u201cJennifer Aniston cell,\u201d which becomes active when you see a photo of Jennifer Aniston, hear her name or read the words \u201cJennifer Aniston\u201d. We wondered if these cells also become active when you only read a pronoun, like \u2018he\u2019 or \u2018she\u2019. Are these cells able to link the pronoun to the right person?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Shrek cell<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Doris Dijksterhuis: \u201cTo test this, we first showed the patients many photos until we found a cell that responded to one particular image. For example, we found a cell that responded to an image of \u2018Shrek\u2019 but not to other images. We call this cell a \u2018Shrek concept cell\u2019. When patients later read a sentence like: \u201cShrek and Fiona were having dinner. He poured out some wine.\u201d the \u2018Shrek\u2019 cell indeed responded to the word \u201cShrek\u201d, but also to the pronoun \u2018He.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>This is interesting because such a pronoun can mean something entirely different in another sentence.<\/p>\n<p>For example, in the sentence \u2018Donald Trump and Kamala Harris were having dinner. He poured out some wine,\u2019 the same pronoun, \u2018He\u2019, refers to Donald Trump, and therefore the Shrek cell will not react. Individual hippocampal cells track who the pronoun refers to in a dynamic, flexible way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Self: \u201cWe had the participants answer a question at the end of the sentences about who performed the action. We could predict whether the patients would give the correct answer based on the activity of the individual concept cells.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo make it a bit more challenging, we also added some trick questions, with two people of the same gender: \u201cJennifer Aniston and Kamala Harris walked into a bar. She sat at the table.\u201d The patient had to decide themselves who performed the action.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe observed that patients tended to choose the person that evoked the most activity in the hippocampus at the start of the sentence. This could be based on chance fluctuations in activity on a trial-by-trial basis or an internal preference for one of the two characters in the sentence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>The bigger picture<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Dijksterhuis: \u201cThe hippocampus is important for learning and memory, but it remains unclear how the hippocampus is involved in the interaction between memory and language. How do we remember what we\u2019ve read?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you think of something you\u2019ve read, you have different concepts that together create the story. Pronouns help us to understand who did what in the story and cells in the hippocampus encode these actions into our memory. Ultimately, we want to know how an entire memory is formed and represented in the brain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is of great value that this group of patients has given their permission to participate in our research. We can only very rarely measure the activity of single brain cells in people who are reading and it is impossible to study these processes in animals. When we get the chance, we try to get as much out of it as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About this language and neuroscience research news<\/h2>\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ffffe8\"><strong>Author: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#4f2a61292a2a213c3b3d2e0f2126216124212e38612123\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Eline Feenstra<\/a><br \/><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/knaw.nl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">KNAW<\/a><br \/><strong>Contact: <\/strong>Eline Feenstra \u2013 KNAW<br \/><strong>Image: <\/strong>The image is credited to Neuroscience News<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ffffe8\"><strong>Original Research: <\/strong>Closed access.<br \/>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.adr2813\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pronouns reactivate conceptual representations in human hippocampal neurons<\/a>\u201d by Matthew Self et al. <em>Science<\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<p><strong>Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Pronouns reactivate conceptual representations in human hippocampal neurons<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During discourse comprehension, every new word adds to an evolving representation of meaning that accumulates over consecutive sentences and constrains the next words.<\/p>\n<p>To minimize repetition and utterance length, languages use pronouns, like the word \u201cshe,\u201d to refer to nouns and phrases that were previously introduced. It has been suggested that language comprehension requires that pronouns activate the same neuronal representations as the nouns themselves.<\/p>\n<p>We recorded from individual neurons in the human hippocampus during a reading task. Cells that were selective to a particular noun were later reactivated by pronouns that refer to the cells\u2019 preferred noun.<\/p>\n<p>These results imply that concept cells contribute to a rapid and dynamic semantic memory network that is recruited during language comprehension.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- Form created by Optin Forms plugin by WPKube: create beautiful optin forms with ease! --> <!-- https:\/\/wpkube.com\/ --><!--optinforms-form5-container--> <!-- \/ Optin Forms --> <\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/neurosciencenews.com\/hippocampus-language-pronouns-27716\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summary: A new study reveals that certain brain cells, known as \u201cconcept cells,\u201d in the hippocampus track pronouns to link them with the correct person in a sentence. Researchers found &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=108258\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=108258"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108258\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=108258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=108258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=108258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}