Some neurons can transmit three signals at once - ... surprise discovery

[HuckleB]

Some neurons can transmit three signals at once - Researchers make surprise discovery

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=20879

"Findings reported in Nature Neuroscience give new understanding to how cells in auditory system organize before hearing develops -

Generations of neuroscientists have been indoctrinated into believing that our senses, thoughts, feelings and movements are orchestrated by a communication network of brain cells, or neurons, each responsible for relaying one specific chemical message called a neurotransmitter. Either neurons release a neurotransmitter that excites a neighboring cell, thereby triggering an electrical discharge and enhancing brain activity, or they dispatch a signal that quells a neuron's activity. So, when researchers at the University of Pittsburgh discovered that immature rat brain cells could fire a simultaneous three-punch salvo - three neurotransmitters bursting out of a single cell -- it was a finding they knew would excite more than just neurons.

Just as surprising, they report in the lead article of this month's Nature Neuroscience, is that by definition these three neurotransmitters are seemingly at odds with each other. One, glutamate, is a textbook excitatory neurotransmitter; while the other two, GABA and glycine, are quintessential inhibitory neurotransmitters.

Information is transmitted between neurons when one cell releases a neurotransmitter at a synapse, the point of contact between cells. When released from a cell, neurotransmitters are sent on a one-way ride that dead ends at the membrane of the adjacent cell. Like lock and key, they bind to specific receptors on the surface of the receiving cell, causing its electrical activity to be enhanced or inhibited.


..."

[Richardo]

1. Where can I get me some of those?

God know I need them. (Ask Mrs. R.) :dunce:

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

2. So they've never heard of three part harmony?

Such a simple thing to deduce...

[clydefrand]

3. I think mine are working overtime causing mucho pain!!!!!!!!!!!

[HuckleB]

4. Researchers Uncover Scaffolds in the Brain's Wiring

http://newswire.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/behold.pl?ascribeid=20050228.103554&time=17%2000%20PST&year=2005&public=0

Ya gotta love them brains.

[HuckleB]

5. Get back up there. Just this once.

[Mithras61]

6. ANd all this is in addition to the recent discovery that brains use...

TRINARY, not binary (that is, -1, 0, and 1 instead of just 0 and 1). Hey, if we keep this up, we may be able to create computers that act just like people!


Oh, wait... maybe that isn't such a good idea...

x(

[Corgigal]

7. my child has central auditory processing disorder

so this part of the article gave me some hope. Never thought science would ever be close to figuring this out. Thanks for sharing this.
Makes my day a bit brighter.


"It will be interesting to find out whether abnormal hearing, such as partial deafness or hearing dominated by noise, which in humans can affect normal language development, would cause glutamate to still be released. Finding such an association would be intriguing, but for now this remains just an hypothesis that will require much study, Dr. Gillespie said.

[DS1]

8. Yes, No, and Maybe

They needed research money for THIS ? :crazy:

[HuckleB]

9. Huh?

You already know everything about how the brain works?

[redqueen]

10. Fascinating!

Let's hope this helps speed progress toward better treatments for depression, epilepsy, etc.

:bounce:

[Igel]

11. Time to update those neural net models.

They get such nifty emergent properties from binary nodes ... this should be fun to watch.

[Javaman]

12. I got an idea forming in my 'ead...

name the movie :)