A multi-national study found out that coordinated works of several brain areas are necessary in order to process a thought.

Lead researcher Aron Barbey said the brain’s ability to add up all the information from verbal, visual, spatial and executive processes is key to intellectual function.

Study showed that the brain regions involved in the thinking process are located within the left prefrontal cortex, left temporal cortex and left parietal cortex, which are behind the forehead, behind the ear, and at the top rear of the head, respectively. Some can be found in the “white matter association tracts” that connect the grey matters of the brain.

In order to identify the parts of the brain used in thinking, the scientists have analyzed the brains of 182 Vietnam veterans who suffered penetrating head injuries.

The localized damages allowed the researchers to distinguish how particular brain regions cause cognitive impairment. In the past, it was nearly impossible to do so because most diseases damage several parts of the brain.

“We can map the architecture of the mind, identifying brain structures that are critically important for specific abilities,” said Barbey

By comparing the patients’ damaged brain structures to those intact, researchers were able to pinpoint which parts of the brain are connected to functions related to intelligence or cognitive ability.

Researchers are hoping to further advance studies to find out how the physical attributes of the brain, genes, and outside factors such as nutrition and environment coordinates intellectual abilities of human beings.


By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)