How Human Single-Neuron Recordings Can Help Us Understand Cognition: Insights from Memory Studies

Understanding human cognition is a key goal of contemporary neuroscience. Due to the complexity of the human brain, animal studies and noninvasive techniques, however valuable, are incapable of providing us with a full understanding of human cognition. In the light of existing cognitive theories, we...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zuzanna Roma Kubska, Jan Kamiński
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-03-01
Series:Brain Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/4/443
Description
Summary:Understanding human cognition is a key goal of contemporary neuroscience. Due to the complexity of the human brain, animal studies and noninvasive techniques, however valuable, are incapable of providing us with a full understanding of human cognition. In the light of existing cognitive theories, we describe findings obtained thanks to human single-neuron recordings, including the discovery of concept cells and novelty-dependent cells, or activity patterns behind working memory, such as persistent activity. We propose future directions for studies using human single-neuron recordings and we discuss possible opportunities of investigating pathological brain.
ISSN:2076-3425