pomegranate seed
Well-Known Member
Here is an interesting little article:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Rat ... story.html
Rats' decision-making as good as humans': study
Findings could help in autism disorder research
Agence France-Presse March 14, 2012
Rats are smart, that's a well-known fact. But U.S. researchers said Tuesday a series of tests have shown they may be just as good as humans at juggling information in order to make the best decision.
The discovery could help scientists better understand how the brain works in order to help people with autism who have difficulty processing various stimuli the way that others can, said the study authors.
Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory ran tests that presented rats with a variety of sound and visual cues, and analysed how the rodents sifted through that information and recognized patterns in order to get a treat.
Comparing the rats to humans who were given similar tests, they found that both groups made decisions that were in line with the "statistically optimal" curve - in other words, the best way possible.
"Statistically optimal combination of multiple sensory stimuli has been well documented in humans, but many have been skeptical about this behaviour occurring in other species," said neuroscientist Anne Churchland, who led the study appearing in today's issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.
"Our work is the first demonstration of its occurrence in rodents."
The findings suggest that the same evolutionary process may be at play in rats and humans that allows for sophisticated decision-making, and could offer a platform for study of autism spectrum disorders, the study said.
People with autism are often unable to choose which sensory stimuli to pay attention to and which to ignore, making commonplace events like going to the grocery store a potentially insufferable outing.
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Rat ... z1pP9Q1Vgw
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Rat ... story.html
Rats' decision-making as good as humans': study
Findings could help in autism disorder research
Agence France-Presse March 14, 2012
Rats are smart, that's a well-known fact. But U.S. researchers said Tuesday a series of tests have shown they may be just as good as humans at juggling information in order to make the best decision.
The discovery could help scientists better understand how the brain works in order to help people with autism who have difficulty processing various stimuli the way that others can, said the study authors.
Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory ran tests that presented rats with a variety of sound and visual cues, and analysed how the rodents sifted through that information and recognized patterns in order to get a treat.
Comparing the rats to humans who were given similar tests, they found that both groups made decisions that were in line with the "statistically optimal" curve - in other words, the best way possible.
"Statistically optimal combination of multiple sensory stimuli has been well documented in humans, but many have been skeptical about this behaviour occurring in other species," said neuroscientist Anne Churchland, who led the study appearing in today's issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.
"Our work is the first demonstration of its occurrence in rodents."
The findings suggest that the same evolutionary process may be at play in rats and humans that allows for sophisticated decision-making, and could offer a platform for study of autism spectrum disorders, the study said.
People with autism are often unable to choose which sensory stimuli to pay attention to and which to ignore, making commonplace events like going to the grocery store a potentially insufferable outing.
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Rat ... z1pP9Q1Vgw
