Cracking the Code: Understanding How the Brain Processes Numbers.
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich have developed a new method to measure human brain activity at the cellular level, using microelectrodes during "awake" brain surgery. The researchers found that individual neurons in the human brain specialize in handling specific numbers, becoming especially active when their "preferred" number is presented. This breakthrough brings us a step closer to understanding the mechanisms of cognitive functions. The development of the procedure was possible due to patients with brain tumors who agreed to have sensors implanted and performed test tasks during their surgeries.