Brain “Switchboard” Important in Attention and Sleep

In a recent study published in the journal Cell, researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center recorded the activity of individual nerve cells in a small part of the brain that works as a “switchboard,” directing signals coming from the outside world or internal memories. Because human brain disorders such as schizophrenia, autism, and post-traumatic stress disorder typically show disturbances in that switchboard, the research team says the work suggests new strategies in understanding and treating them. During the study, the research team showed how neurons in the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) — also known as the switchboard — directs the sensory signals such as vision from the outside world, and internal information such as memories, to their appropriate destinations. “We have never been able to observe as precisely how this structure worked before,” said the study’s lead author. “This study shows us how information can be routed in the brain, giving us tremendous insight into how it might be broken in psychiatric disorders.” To read more about this study, click here.