Molecular Code of Language Regions in the Brain Cracked
Jülich, 29 January 2015 – Speech and understanding language are complex problems in which multiple areas of the brain work together. JARA-BRAIN scientist Prof. Karl Zilles and a team from Jülich, Aachen, Leipzig, and Finland have now shown for the first time that there is a unique molecular fingerprint which distinguishes language-related areas in the brain. The common code is defined by a specific concentration of various transmitter receptors, which are key molecules for signal processing. Their typical concentrations in the language regions distinguish them clearly from those in other regions which do not perform language-related tasks. The research findings were recently published in the highly respected journal Cortex. (DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2014.07.007)