Unveiling the Brain's Vast Maps: Decoding Time, Space, and Disease
Two studies led by UCLA researchers have shed light on how neurons in the human brain represent time and space. The first study found that "place cells" and "time cells" operate independently but concurrently during navigation tasks, suggesting that time and space are separable dimensions at the neuron level. The second study discovered that certain neurons exhibit periodic firing patterns over different time scales, potentially providing a mechanism for encoding time in the brain. These findings contribute to our understanding of the neural basis of consciousness and memory formation.