Thehuman brain is able to adapt to the unexpectedthanks to the fact that it has anetwork of neurons that makes predictions about the world around usand, in addition, it monitors how correct those predictions turn out. The core of this network is found in the so-calledorbitofrontal cortex, a brain area located above the eyes. When damaged in a patient, the patient often confuses memories with reality and continually anticipates events that are unlikely to happen.
A new study supervised by Professor Armin Schnider, from the University Hospitals of Geneva (Switzerland), and published in the journalCortex, shed light on himThe brain mechanisms that allow us to anticipate what happensand adapt to unexpected events. Analyzing the brains of healthy volunteers with the help of an MRI scanner, Schnider and his colleagues analyzed how they reacted when, looking at human faces, they had to predict on which faces a spider (potentially dangerous stimulus) or a black circle was about to appear. (neutral stimulus). Brain analysis showed thatthe area in charge of creating expectations reacted the same in all casesonce events occurred, regardless of whether what had happened or stopped happening posed a threat. The brain area responsible for processing visual stimuli, on the other hand, responded more intensely when seeing the spider.
“Adaptive behavior involves the ability to react to potentially harmful stimuli, characterized by negative emotions, but we must alsorespond appropriately when events we had anticipated do not occur“, aclara Schnider.
