Sažetak sa skupa
https://doi.org/10.21857/ypn4oc4189
Concept neurons
Mario Vukšić
; Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Croatia
*
Fran Božić
; Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Croatia
* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
Evidence from animal studies and the famous case of patient H.M. have convincingly demonstrated the crucial role played by the medial temporal lobe (MTL) in the formation, consolidation and retrieval of declarative memories. While many aspects of neural coding and retrieval of mnemonic information have been extensively studied, the specific neuronal mechanisms responsible for transformingour perceptions into long-lasting memories remain largely unknown. Recently, intracranial recordings in patients suffering from intractable epilepsy have shown that neurons in the MTL can be selectively activated when individuals are presented with stimuli corresponding to a specific concept, irrespective of the sensory modality through which the information is received.
For example, a single neuron recorded in the human hippocampus showed incredible specificity in its response to images of the actress Jennifer Aniston. This neuron was found to fire in response to different visual representations of the actress, as well as to a semantic representation of the same concept, such as the letter string “JENNIFER ANISTON”. Furthermore, these neurons can activate when stimulus information is provided in other sensory modalities, such as when a specific name is spoken out loud. Due to this specificity, these neurons were initially named “Jennifer Aniston neurons”. More recently, they have been referred to as “concept cells”, reflecting their broader role in encoding abstract representations of semantic knowledge.
Given the well-established involvement of the MTL in the acquisition of declarative memory, one can conclude that concept cells serve as fundamental units for encoding the meaning of a stimulus for memory functions. Moreover, the way human memory tends to retain abstract concepts while discarding irrelevant details correlates well with the information encoded by the concept cells. The research has shown that these neurons sometimes fire to associated concepts, which are represented by different cell assemblies. When two concepts share a meaningful relationship, a subset of the neurons encoding one concept may also fire in response to another, giving a potential neural substrate for associative learning and offering a mechanistic explanation for how individuals transition from one concept to another in a fluid manner (Figure 1).
The described neural mechanism could serve as the neurobiological basis for episodic memory and even the stream of consciousness that characterizes human cognition. By linking perception with memory, concept cells generate an abstract and sparse representation of semantic knowledge that constitutes the building blocks for declarative memory functions, enabling humans to organize and recall information with remarkable efficiency (Quiroga 2012). Furthermore, recent studies have revealed that working memory representations are converted into long-term memory when concept cells become active.
Some researchers speculate that concept cells may represent a key component of human intelligence, potentially differentiating our cognitive abilities from those of other species. Future research on concept neurons could explore their precise role in the transition from perception to memory by investigating how their activity changes during different stages of learning and recall.
Ključne riječi
temporal lobe epilepsy; depth electrode; declarative memory; visual perception; working memory
Hrčak ID:
333445
URI
Datum izdavanja:
25.6.2025.
Posjeta: 421 *