PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 18-Nov-2014 Contact: Sam Wong sam.wong@imperial.ac.uk 44-207-594-2198 Imperial College London @imperialspark Scientists have revealed the mechanisms that enable certain brain cells to persuade others to create 'Mexican waves' linked with cognitive function. Ultimately, the team say their work may help researchers understand more about normal brain function and about neurocognitive disorders such as dementia. Neurons are cells in the brain that communicate chemical and electrical information and they belong to one of two groups- inhibitory or excitatory. While much is known about excitatory neurons, the role of inhibitory neurons is still being debated. Inhibitory neurons can vibrate and they are equipped with mechanisms that enable them to persuade networks of other neurons into imitating their vibrations - setting off 'Mexican waves' in the brain. The scientists believe these collective, oscillating vibrations play a key role in cognitive function. Their research sheds light on how inhibitory neurons use different communication processes to excitatory neurons, which share information via an internal pulsing mechanism. This study was carried out by Imperial College London and the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research. It is published today in the journal Nature Communications. Dr Claudia Clopath, co-author from the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial … Continue reading →