The life of the baby before birth is a mystery that we are unraveling little by little. We know, according to various studies, that even in the womb, the baby’s brain enters stages in which sleep is feasible.
We now know of a new Yale study published in the journal Science that indicates that mammals dream of the world they are about to experience, even before they are born .
They prepare for the world that awaits them
A team of scientists, led by Michael Crair, professor of neuroscience and professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, describe waves of activity emanating from the neonatal retina in mice before their eyes open. They found that these retinal waves flow in a pattern that mimics the activity that would occur if the animal moved through the environment . And it also extrapolates this behavior to the rest of the mammals.
This activity disappears shortly after birth and is replaced by a more complex network of neural transmissions of visual stimuli to the brain, where the information is further encoded and stored.
“At first glance, mammals are capable of quite sophisticated behavior,” said Crair, lead author of the study, who is also vice chancellor for research at Yale. “But how are the circuits formed that allow us to perceive movement and navigate the world? It turns out that we are born capable of many of these behaviors , at least in a rudimentary way. “
From mice to human babies
The experts found an evolutionary explanation in this early sleep-like activity they found in mice, which allows you to anticipate what they will experience after birth and be ready to respond immediately to environmental threats.
Unlike mice, a human baby does not need to learn to move quickly through his environment to save his life, however, human babies can also detect objects and identify movements right after birth, such as a finger moving across their field of vision, suggesting that his visual system was also ready before birth.
“These brain circuits are self-organizing at birth and some of the early teachings are already done,” Crair said. “It’s like dreaming about what you are going to see even before you open your eyes.”
Via | Yale News
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