Introducing the brain: a new control area (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, July 21, 2023, 15:23 (281 days ago) @ David Turell

Mental and emotional states affect this body this way:

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/new-brain-network-connecting-mind-and-body-d...

"Even before speaking in front of a large crowd, your palms may start to sweat, your heart may race, and your shoulders may tense up.

"Little is known about why this happens, and how mental states, like emotions, influence the body in anticipation of an event. Now, however, researchers have identified a previously undiscovered brain network that might be behind this mind-body connection, according to new research published today (April 19) in Nature.

The newly discovered network involves both the motor cortex and cognitive areas of the brain, upending a long-held view that the motor cortex is only involved in producing movements.

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"From this data, the researchers mined connectivity information in search of brain areas with coordinated activity, which could indicate that the areas were part of the same network. They found that the three newly discovered areas of the primary motor cortex connected to the cingulo-opercular network (CON), a brain region that’s been linked to action, goals, arousal, and pain. “We’ve thought about this network as one of the smartest networks in the brain because it does your high-level planning,” explains Gordon. The network also involved several other motor and sensory areas of the brain. Overall, they called this network the somato-cognitive action network, or SCAN, hypothesizing that the network connects goals, physiology, and body movement.

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"The researchers found a similar network in nonhuman primates, using fMRI data from macaques. In monkeys, the SCAN was also connected to brain areas that control things like heart rate and breathing, leading the researchers to conclude that one of the network’s duties might be to put the body on alert in response to a stimulus, such as a stressful event."

Comment: it is not surprising that such correlated areas exist.