South American knife fish may hold one of the keys to our understanding the development of the human brain

Do South American knife fish hold one of the keys to our understanding the development of the human brain? They might, according to Dr. Kent Dunlap, associate professor of biology at Trinity College.

Research recently completed by one of Dunlap’s students, James Castellano ’05, demonstrates that social interaction between the weakly-electric South American knife fish increases the rate at which cells are produced in their brains.

“We know that mammals, including humans, have a limited ability to produce new brain cells as they get older,” Dunlap says, “which explains why brain and spinal injuries are so often permanent.” Dunlap points out that Castellano’s findings may pave the way for discovering how social interaction causes the generation of brain cells, which is what the two will be researching in the current academic year.

“This study could ultimately have important implications for the study of human behavior,” notes Dunlap. “It’s common knowledge that social interaction is important for emotional and physical health. But it may also influence how the brain works and develops.” He adds, “If we can understand this, we may be able to understand how new cells in the human brain affect behavior.”

Castellano presented his findings at the seventh International Congress of Neuroethology (the study of the neural basis of behavior), in Nyborg, Denmark, in August, and was one of five receiving awards for best presentation made by a pre-doctoral scientist. Dunlap points out, “Not only are his research findings significant, but it is very unusual for an undergraduate to present, and then win an award, at an international conference – we’re extremely proud of him.”