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This story is from the category The Brain
Date posted: 02/03/2009 A Brown University study of stroke victims has produced evidence that the frontal lobe of the human brain controls decision-making along a continuum from abstract to concrete, from front to back. Abstract actions can be controlled at an abstract level, such as deciding to make a sandwich, or at more concrete and specific levels, such as choosing a sequence of movements that make the sandwich. The scientific data supports pre-existing theories that abstract decisions about action take place in the front of the frontal lobe, the back portion controls the capacity for concrete decisions, and the progression from front to back forms a gradient from abstract to concrete. The Brown researchers are among the first to show that specific areas of the frontal cortex are needed for different levels of abstract decision. The finding, to be detailed March 1 in the journal Nature Neuroscience, represents a huge leap in comprehending how the brain supports higher level cognition and intelligent behaviour. It could lead to advances in everything from the treatment of strokes to understanding how humans develop thought. See the full Story via external site: www.physorg.com Most recent stories in this category (The Brain): 04/02/2017: HKU scientists utilise innovative neuroimaging approach to unravel complex brain networks |
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