Hidden Region in Human Brain Discovered

Summary: Researchers have identified a hidden region in the human brain near the spinal cord junction. The discovery of the Endorestiform Nucleus may help advance treatments for Parkinson’s disease, researchers report.

Source: University of New South Wales.

World-renowned cartographer of the brain, Scientia Professor George Paxinos, Conjoint Professor at UNSW, has discovered a hidden region of the human brain. The region is found near the brain-spinal cord junction and Professor Paxinos has named it the Endorestiform Nucleus.

Professor Paxinos, from Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), suspected the existence of the Endorestiform Nucleus 30 years ago but has only now been able to see it due to better staining and imaging techniques. Commenting on this discovery, Professor Paxinos says it can be likened to finding a new star.

“The region is intriguing because it seems to be absent in the rhesus monkey and other animals that we have studied,” said Professor Paxinos, adding, “there have to be some things that are unique about the human brain besides its larger size, and the Endorestiform Nucleus may be one of them.”

The Endorestiform Nucleus is located within the inferior cerebellar peduncle, an area that integrates sensory and motor information to refine our posture, balance and fine motor movements.

“I can only guess as to its function, but given the part of the brain where it has been found, it might be involved in fine motor control,” says Professor Paxinos.

The discovery of the region may help researchers explore cures for diseases including Parkinson’s disease and motor neuron disease.

brain
The discovery of the region may help researchers explore cures for diseases including Parkinson’s disease and motor neuron disease. NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.

Neuroscientists researching neurological or psychiatric diseases use Professor Paxinos’s maps to guide their work. Professor Paxinos’s brain atlases are heralded as the most accurate for the identification of brain structures and are also used in neurosurgery.

An increasingly detailed understanding of the architecture and connectivity of the nervous system has been central to most major discoveries in neuroscience in the past 100 years.

“Professor Paxinos’s atlases showing detailed morphology and connections of the human brain and spinal cord, provide a critical framework for researchers to test hypotheses from synaptic function to treatments for diseases of the brain,” said Professor Peter Schofield, CEO at NeuRA.

Professor Paxinos is the author of the most cited publication in neuroscience and another 52 books of highly detailed maps of the brain. The maps chart the course for neurosurgery and neuroscience research, enabling exploration, discovery and the development of treatments for diseases and disorders of the brain.

About this neuroscience research article

Source: University of New South Wales
Publisher: Organized by NeuroscienceNews.com.
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.
Original Research: The discovery of the Endorestiform Nucleus is detailed in Professor Paxinos’s latest book titled Human Brainstem: Cytoarchitecture, Chemoarchitecture, Myeloarchitecture.

Cite This NeuroscienceNews.com Article

[cbtabs][cbtab title=”MLA”]University of New South Wales”Hidden Region in Human Brain Discovered.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 27 November 2018.
<https://neurosciencenews.com/hidden-brain-region-10260/>.[/cbtab][cbtab title=”APA”]University of New South Wales(2018, November 27). Hidden Region in Human Brain Discovered. NeuroscienceNews. Retrieved November 27, 2018 from https://neurosciencenews.com/hidden-brain-region-10260/[/cbtab][cbtab title=”Chicago”]University of New South Wales”Hidden Region in Human Brain Discovered.” https://neurosciencenews.com/hidden-brain-region-10260/ (accessed November 27, 2018).[/cbtab][/cbtabs]

Feel free to share this Neuroscience News.
Join our Newsletter
I agree to have my personal information transferred to AWeber for Neuroscience Newsletter ( more information )
Sign up to receive our recent neuroscience headlines and summaries sent to your email once a day, totally free.
We hate spam and only use your email to contact you about newsletters. You can cancel your subscription any time.