The Brain's Secret Languages, and How They Shape Learning

The Brain's Secret Languages, and How They Shape Learning

A new study from Harvard reveals that the basal ganglia, a region crucial for movement, uses different electrical signals for learned skills and innate behaviors.

Oh, rats! How the “learning machine” of the brain speaks in different codes - Scientific Inquirer

Among the many wonders of the brain is its ability to master learned movements—a dance step, piano sonata, or tying our shoes—acquired through trial-and-error practice. For decades, neuroscientists have known that these tasks require a cluster of brain areas known as the basal ganglia. According to a new study [link will go live when study published 11 August] led by Harvard researchers in Nature Neuroscience, this so-called “learning machine” s…