Researchers from the Swiss Federal Technological Institute in Lausanne (EPFL) have made a groundbreaking discovery about the information processing in the human brain, which could provide insights into our evolution. Using advanced data analysis and functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI), the scientists compared the brain activity of humans, mice, and macaques. They found that while mice and macaques rely on single channels for transmitting information, the human brain utilizes multiple parallel paths.
In explaining their methodology, Alessandra Griff, a Biomedical Engineer from EPFL, stated, “We used a combination of two branches of mathematics: graph theory to describe polysynaptic paths and information theory for cartographic information transmission.”
The study also revealed that the parallel paths in the human brain are unique enough to serve as a distinctive fingerprint, potentially aiding in the identification of individual nervous systems. Griff highlighted the significance: “Such parallel processing in people’s brains was supposed earlier, but it was never observed at the level of the entire brain.”
According to the researchers, the presence of multiple channels in the human brain contributes to its stability. If one channel becomes blocked or damaged, the information can be redirected along a different path, ensuring the continued transmission of vital data. This finding may have future implications for the treatment of brain injuries and the prevention of conditions such as dementia.
Griffis emphasized the abstract cognitive functions facilitated by these parallel streams of information, stating, “These parallel streams of information allow you to create multiple ideas of reality and perform the abstract functions characteristic of a person.”
The team’s next step will involve modeling more complex processes to study how information is combined and processed in the brain to generate novel ideas. The study detailing their findings has been published in the journal Nature Communications.