Brain Circuits Multitask to Discriminate Sensory Input

Research recently published in the journal Neuron found that the neural circuits in the brain rapidly multitask between detecting and discriminating sensory input, such as determining whether or not headlights from a vehicle in the distance are from a car or a motorcycle. The distance at which a person can discern two headlights from a single light is controlled by the acuity of the brain’s sensory pathway. Previously, neuroscientists assumed that the level of one’s acuity is controlled by the distance between areas in the brain that are triggered by the sensory input. It was believed that if these two areas of the brain closely overlap, then two sensory inputs (two headlights in the distance) will appear as one. During the study, for the first time, researchers used animal models and optical imaging to directly assess how acuity is controlled in the brain, as well as how acuity can adapt to the task at hand. The results from the mouse study found that pathways in the brain have the ability to switch between doing different kinds of tasks, such as detecting a sensory input and deciding what to do with that information. To read more about this study, click here.