Year: 2023

Scientists at Columbia University have harnessed cutting-edge imaging techniques to unveil the brain activity and regions associated with Cognitive Motor Dissociation (CMD), often referred to as ‘hidden consciousness’. CMD is a state where individuals exhibit comatose and unresponsive outward behaviors while inwardly displaying signs of conscious brain function. The research findings, with potential clinical implications, might facilitate the identification of CMD and lead to tailored treatments for those who can comprehend but cannot respond.

Around 15–25 percent of individuals with brain injuries from causes like head trauma, brain hemorrhage, or cardiac arrest experience CMD. In these cases, there is a disconnection between the brain’s instructions and the execution of those instructions by the muscles.

Dopamine, often referred to as the brain’s reward neurotransmitter, is responsible for the feeling of accomplishment and pleasure. Whether it’s winning a game of cards or savoring a favorite treat, dopamine activates specific neurons that generate feelings of joy. Researchers from Northwestern University in the US have now made a breakthrough by identifying three distinct subtypes of dopamine-reactive neurons within a brain region called the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). This discovery challenges the conventional understanding of dopamine neurons solely associated with reward responses and sheds light on their potential involvement in various functions beyond pleasure.

The substantia nigra plays a critical role in both movement processing and reward responses, making it a pivotal area to investigate. Interestingly, Parkinson’s disease originates in this region, where the loss of dopamine-sensitive neurons results in symptoms like tremors, slowness, and rigidity.

A pioneering study led by a multidisciplinary team from the HEC – School of Management at the University of Liиge and Liиge University Hospital (CHU Liиge) has unveiled intriguing evidence suggesting that entrepreneurs possess heightened neuronal connectivity in their brains, contributing to their distinct cognitive attributes. This collaborative effort between entrepreneurship researchers and neuroscientists utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to reveal that serial entrepreneurs display increased connectivity between the right insula, linked to cognitive flexibility, and the anterior prefrontal cortex, a region pivotal for exploratory decision-making. This connectivity pattern enables serial entrepreneurs to effectively navigate between exploration and exploitation, a crucial equilibrium for their achievements.

The study’s innovative methodology, observing the brain during rest rather than task-based fMRI, breaks new ground in understanding the entrepreneurial mind. This approach offers insights beyond the traditional tools employed in studying entrepreneurial cognition. The research involved a cohort of forty participants, including entrepreneurs and managers, to unravel the neural secrets behind entrepreneurial success.