A drowsy Rhesus macaque monkey, as captured in an earlier photograph.
In a groundbreaking study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers led by neurobiologist Jason Hill at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, have uncovered intriguing findings about the development of the human brain, particularly in relation to premature infants. The study reveals that the expansion patterns in infant brains are remarkably similar to how human brains have changed since humans and macaques diverged from a common ancestor about 25 million years ago. Interestingly, the parts of the brain that have grown the most to make humans unique are the same regions that tend to grow the most postnatally. Hill suggests that the development of regions necessary for early survival, such as vision and recognition, may be prioritized over higher cognitive processes. This delay in the development of the human brain's higher cognitive and executive regions could help prevent a fetus's brain from growing too large to fit through the mother's pelvis. The researchers compared MRI scans of 12 infant brains with scans of 12 young-adult brains to study the maturation of the human brain. Their work may potentially aid in understanding and addressing neurodevelopmental issues in premature infants, as approximately 30 to 50 percent of preterm infants have lasting neurodevelopmental problems, and the reasons for this are often unknown. However, the specific regions of the brain that are affected by the delay in development and the potential long-term effects of this delay remain to be explored. The researchers hope that the new brain discovery can help identify where and how the development of some premature babies goes wrong. It's important to note that no information was provided about the connection between eating crocodile and the early human brain, or about the specific methods used to compare preterm infants' brain development with that of full-term infants. The study compared the new human-brain scans with brain scans of macaque monkeys, providing valuable insights into the evolution of the human brain. Despite the significant growth in regions associated with basic senses like vision and hearing, brain regions involved in higher cognitive and executive processes, such as language and reasoning, grow about twice as much. The delay in the development of these higher cognitive and executive regions may be to allow them to be shaped by early life experiences. This could be a key factor in understanding the unique cognitive abilities of humans, as well as the challenges faced by premature infants. While the reasons for why apes do not have bigger brains remain a mystery, this study sheds light on the complex and fascinating process of human brain development. The findings could pave the way for future research aimed at addressing neurodevelopmental issues in premature infants and improving their long-term outcomes.
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