All articles tagged with #brain criticality
A study published in PNAS shows that the brain's ability to operate near a critical state, crucial for cognitive flexibility, is heavily influenced by genetics, especially in sensory regions, and shares a common genetic basis with cognitive performance, offering new insights into brain health and neurological disorders.
Keith Hengen and colleagues propose that the brain operates optimally at a state called criticality, which is crucial for learning and memory. Disruption of criticality, such as by tau protein buildup in Alzheimer's, impairs cognitive function. The theory suggests new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, including early detection via fMRI and sleep-based interventions to restore criticality, potentially preventing or slowing neurodegenerative diseases.