The Grandmother Brain Cell Debate

Do you suppose there’s a specific neuron in your brain that is activated when you see or imagine your grandmother?

A recent study conducted by researchers from UCLA and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel dealt with this exact question. In the study, recently published in the prestigious journal “Science” - micro electrodes implanted in epilepsy patients recorded brain signals while the patients performed two tasks: First the patients viewed short famous video scenes while the firing rate of the neurons in their brains were monitored. Then the patients were required to freely recall which scenes were presented earlier.

The results of the study were surprising: Excluding the random firing of neurons, which happens all the time, some neurons were only activated when a particular video clip was presented, such as a scene from the TV series “The Simpsons.”

Baby Boomers Take Note

The same neuron that was activated when the Simpsons clip was viewed also fired when merely remembered by the patient - without the movie clip being shown at all. Does this mean we have a designated Simpsons cell that is activated when we watch or remember a scene from that particular show? With baby boomers entering their older adult years, and becoming increasingly concerned with preserving their mental health, this study has added new fuel to an old debate.

Grandmother Cell Debate

Indeed arguments have been ongoing in what is known in the scientific community as the grandmother cell debate. To date, it is not yet clear how and what information is represented in specific brain cells. That a certain figure or movie is represented by a designated cell in the brain is believed by many to be highly improbable. Thus questions still remain about the type of objects represented, and of course the differences among individuals.

Watch the brain movie by clicking here