Researchers unveil a novel type of memory cells within the neural structure of the brain

In a groundbreaking discovery, a team of researchers has uncovered a class of neurons in the brain's temporal pole region (TP region) that connect face perception with long-term memory, potentially offering new insights into understanding and treating face blindness.

Winrich Freiwald, professor of neurosciences and behavior at The Rockefeller University, led the research group, which also included neuroscientist Sofia Landi, first author on the paper. The findings were published in the prestigious journal Science.

For decades, the idea of a "grandmother neuron" has intrigued neuroscientists. Proposed in the 1960s, this theoretical brain cell was believed to code for a specific, complex concept all by itself. However, until now, no such cell had been found.

The TP region, it turns out, is at the heart of facial recognition. Researchers can now investigate how these cells encode familiar faces. The discovery, however, is not of a single cell like the proposed "grandmother neuron", but a population of cells that collectively remember faces.

These cells were found to be highly selective, responding to faces that the subjects had seen before more strongly than unfamiliar ones. Remarkably, they responded threefold more strongly to familiar over unfamiliar faces, even though the subjects had seen the unfamiliar faces many times virtually on screens.

The neurons in the TP region behave like both sensory and memory cells, responding to familiar individuals. This discovery provides the first evidence of a hybrid brain cell, not unlike the fabled grandmother neuron.

Neuroscientist Sofia Landi notes that this may point to the importance of knowing someone in person. The discovery of the TP region's role in facial recognition opens up new avenues for research in the human brain.

The findings could potentially have significant implications for people suffering from prosopagnosia, or face blindness. Face-blind people often suffer from depression and social isolation, and this discovery could potentially help devise strategies to assist them.

Researchers can now explore how the TP region is connected to other parts of the brain and how it responds to new faces. A research group led by Kalanit Grill-Spector at Stanford University discovered new neurons in the temporal cortex that link face perception and long-term memory.

The team used functional magnetic resonance imaging and recorded the electrical signals of TP neurons as rhesus monkeys watched images of familiar and unfamiliar faces. The findings offer a promising step towards understanding the complex workings of the human brain and could pave the way for new treatments for face blindness in the future.

Researchers unveil a novel type of memory cells within the neural structure of the brain