Cognitive Flexibility: How the Brain Learns New Rules to Navigate the Changing World

In everyday life, our brains adapt to new situations using the prefrontal cortex. A team of neuroscientists discovered a special class of neurons in the prefrontal cortex that enable flexible behavior, and when malfunctioning, may contribute to conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These long-range inhibitory connections synchronize gamma oscillations across the left and right prefrontal cortex, allowing the brain to change its behavior at the right moment. This research could lead...