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    Primitive Brain Is 'Smarter' Than We Think, MIT Study Shows - ScienceDaily PDF

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    The study found that primitive brain structures called the basal ganglia learn new rules and associations faster than the prefrontal cortex. Specifically, in monkeys learning simple rules, the striatum region of the basal ganglia showed evidence of learning sooner and more rapidly than the prefrontal cortex. However, the monkeys' behavior improved at a slower rate similar to the prefrontal cortex. This suggests that while the basal ganglia identify rules first, they train the prefrontal cortex, which absorbs the lessons more slowly. These findings indicate that primitive brain structures may play a greater role in high-level learning than previously believed.

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    Primitive Brain Is 'Smarter' Than We Think, MIT Study Shows - ScienceDaily PDF

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    The study found that primitive brain structures called the basal ganglia learn new rules and associations faster than the prefrontal cortex. Specifically, in monkeys learning simple rules, the striatum region of the basal ganglia showed evidence of learning sooner and more rapidly than the prefrontal cortex. However, the monkeys' behavior improved at a slower rate similar to the prefrontal cortex. This suggests that while the basal ganglia identify rules first, they train the prefrontal cortex, which absorbs the lessons more slowly. These findings indicate that primitive brain structures may play a greater role in high-level learning than previously believed.

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    The study found that primitive brain structures called the basal ganglia learn new rules and associations faster than the prefrontal cortex. Specifically, in monkeys learning simple rules, the striatum region of the basal ganglia showed evidence of learning sooner and more rapidly than the prefrontal cortex. However, the monkeys' behavior improved at a slower rate similar to the prefrontal cortex. This suggests that while the basal ganglia identify rules first, they train the prefrontal cortex, which absorbs the lessons more slowly. These findings indicate that primitive brain structures may play a greater role in high-level learning than previously believed.

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    Primitive Brain Is 'Smarter' Than We Think, MIT Study Shows - ScienceDaily PDF

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    Anonymous TwMqdTP8G4
    The study found that primitive brain structures called the basal ganglia learn new rules and associations faster than the prefrontal cortex. Specifically, in monkeys learning simple rules, the striatum region of the basal ganglia showed evidence of learning sooner and more rapidly than the prefrontal cortex. However, the monkeys' behavior improved at a slower rate similar to the prefrontal cortex. This suggests that while the basal ganglia identify rules first, they train the prefrontal cortex, which absorbs the lessons more slowly. These findings indicate that primitive brain structures may play a greater role in high-level learning than previously believed.

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    PrimitiveBrainIs'Smarter'ThanWeThink,MITStudyShows

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    March14,2005
    MassachusettsInstituteOfTechnology
    Primitivestructuresdeepwithinthebrainmayhaveafargreaterroleinourhighlevel
    everydaythinkingprocessesthanpreviouslybelieved,reportresearchersattheMIT
    PicowerCenterforLearningandMemoryintheFeb.24issueofNature.

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    FULLSTORY

    Primitivestructuresdeepwithinthebrainmayhaveafargreaterroleinourhigh
    leveleverydaythinkingprocessesthanpreviouslybelieved,reportresearchersat
    theMITPicowerCenterforLearningandMemoryintheFeb.24issueofNature.
    TheresultsofthisstudyledbyEarlK.Miller,associatedirectorofthePicowerCenteratMIT,have
    implicationsabouthowwelearn.Thenewknowledgealsomayleadtobetterunderstandingand
    treatmentforautismandschizophrenia,whichcouldresultfromanimbalancebetweenprimitiveand
    moreadvancedbrainsystems.
    Ourbrainshaveevolvedafast,reliablewaytolearnrulessuchas"stopatred"and"goatgreen."
    Dogmahasitthatthe"bigboss"lobesofthecerebralcortex,responsiblefordailyandlongterm
    decisionmaking,learntherulesfirstandthentransfertheknowledgetothemoreprimitive,large
    forebrainregionknownasthebasalganglia,buriedunderthecortex.
    Althoughbothregionsareknowntobeinvolvedinlearningrulesthatbecomeautomaticenoughforusto
    followwithoutmuchthought,noonehadeverdeterminedeachone'sspecificrole.
    Inthisstudy,Miller,whoisthePicowerProfessorofNeuroscience,andpostdoctoralassociateAnitha
    Pasupathyfoundthatinmonkeys,thestriatum(theinputstructureofthebasalganglia)showedmore
    rapidchangeinthelearningprocessthanthemorehighlyevolvedprefrontalcortex.Theirresults
    suggestthatthebasalgangliafirstidentifytherule,andthen"train"theprefrontalcortex,whichabsorbs
    thelessonmoreslowly.

    "Thesefindingssuggestnewwaysofthinkingaboutlearning,"Millersaid."Theysuggestthatnew
    learningisn'tsimplythesmarterbitsofourbrainsuchasthecortex'figuringthingsout.'Instead,we
    shouldthinkoflearningasinteractionbetweenourprimitivebrainstructuresandourmoreadvanced
    cortex.Inotherwords,primitivebrainstructuresmightbetheenginedrivingevenourmostadvanced
    highlevel,intelligentlearningabilities,"hesaid.
    Thecortexthe"thinking"partofthebrainishighlydevelopedinhumans.Thisisespeciallytrueforthe
    prefrontalcortex.Commonwisdomsuggeststhatwhenwelearnnewthings,theprefrontalcortexfigures
    thingsoutfirst.Then,asourbehaviorsbecomefamiliarandhabitual,themoreprimitive,subcortical
    basalgangliatakeoversothatthenowfamiliarroutinescanberunoffautomaticallyandoccupylessof
    ourthoughts.
    "Whatwefoundwasevidenceforsomethingverydifferent,"Pasupathysaid."Wefoundthatasmonkeys
    learnnew,simplerulesassociationsanalogousto'stopatred,goatgreen'thestriatumofthebasal
    gangliashowsevidenceoflearningmuchsoonerandfasterthantheprefrontalcortex.But,aninteresting
    wrinkleisthatthethemonkeys'behaviorimprovedataslowrate,similartothatoftheslowerchanges
    inprefrontalcortex."
    Thissuggeststhatwhilethebasalganglia"learn"first,theiroutputforcestheprefrontalcortextochange,
    albeitataslowerrate.
    Theresearchersspeculatethatperhapsthefasterlearninginthebasalgangliaallowsus(andour
    primitiveancestorswholackedaprefrontalcortex)toquicklypickupimportantinformationneededfor
    survival.Theprefrontalcortexthenmonitorswhatthebasalgangliahavelearned.Itsslower,more
    deliberatelearningmechanismsallowittogatheramorejudicious"bigpicture"ofwhatisgoingonby
    takingintoaccountmorehistoryandtherebyexertexecutivecontroloverbehavior,Millersaid.
    ThisworkwassupportedbytheNationalInstituteofNeurologicalDisordersandStrokeandthe
    Tourette'sSyndromeAssociation.
    AversionofthisarticleappearedintheMarch2,2005issueofMITTechTalk(Volume49,Number19).

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