Advanced ’microchip’ in the brain
Latest findings by Szeged researchers: intelligence could be determined by human-specific brain characteristics and, in turn, as the Achilles heels of the brain these could also be responsible for the development of certain brain disorders.
The neocortex is dedicated to higher-order cognitive functions such as language use. This part of the brain has a very similar microstructure in humans and in species used for animal tests. However, the latest results of two research groups in Szeged University, headed by Gábor Tamás and Karri Lamsa respectively, suggest that the human neocortical network has unique properties.
Gábor Tamás’s research group together with Zoltán Nusser (Institute of Experimental Medicine of the MTA) has published an article in eLife on the unique properties of excitatory and inhibitory neurons of the human cerebral cortex. These interneuron connections are so effective that a single action potential of a single neuron may activate several other neurons. The authors suppose that this property specific to the human cerebral cortex might have evolved in order to foster more effective information processing. The publication of Gábor Tamás and his colleagues shows that several synaptic vesicles release neurotransmitters owing to neural activity in these very effective interneuron connections. The cerebral cortex of other species does not exhibit a similar phenomenon, which entails the possibility that this has evolved in humans only.
Viktor Szegedi and Karri Lamsa (Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Szeged) published an article in Plos Biology, which is closely connected to the topic above. The article claims that these very effective connections are rather flexible and plastic, i.e. their effectiveness can be more readily changed than that of the interneuron connections of rats, which were examined as a baseline. These strong interneuron connections can be changed due to learning, and thus are able to activate another neuron system in the human cerebral cortex. These results are also important because the regulation of the neocortical neural network is indispensable during higher-order cognitive functions, such as learning.
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Hamza Baniata – Faculty of Science and Informatics
I am Hamza Baniata, a first-year student at the Doctoral School of Computer Science, and I am From Jordan. SZTE is continuously supporting research and it has an internationally recognized, highly ranked group of professors. It also offers courses and research topics that are strongly related to my research field; Cloud Computing, Fog Computing and Internet of Things. All of this motivated me to apply to the University/Department of Software Engineering. Szeged is a calm city, full of love and peace. The University of Szeged is similar to the city, which provides the perfect environment for creation and development. Studying at the university requires a high level of effort, commitment and seriousness. Applying to the university and having these characteristics are my two pieces of advice to prospective students. It is very early to define my future now, but I am planning to apply to a research position in my field after graduation and if I had the opportunity, I would love to contribute my effort and knowledge in advancing such a wonderful and respected university.
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My name is Ferdous Rahman and I am from Bangladesh. I am pursuing doctoral studies at the Department of Private International Law at the Faculty of Law and Political Science under the Stipendium Hungaricum Programme. Currently I am in the first year of my four-year PhD programme. I came to know about SZTE while exploring for the Stipendium Hungaricum programme. Among the other available options, this was my first choice. Apart from its excellent ranking, I got my supervisor with similar research interest. The increasing number of international students gave me a comfort of having a cosmopolitan environment. After starting my studies here in September 2019, I am convinced that I could not expect more. For prospective students, I would advise that SZTE can be their next home as I got mine. Everyone here including the professors, the administrators, and the students are very friendly and helpful. They make studies a joyous journey instead of pile of classes and books. After my graduation, I will return to my home country. The knowledge and the experience that I have been receiving here will be a great resource for my academic career. I intend to continue my research further and expect to contribute to policy formulation at national and international level."
