Research provides further insights into brain mechanisms

Findings discuss optogentics, music and the neurobiology of social interaction

Research presented today at Neuroscience 2009, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) and the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health, provide further insights into brain mechanisms, including those involved in music, social interaction, learning and memory.

Specific research released today:

• New findings indicate that musical training might enhance other auditory skills such as language acquisition and reading, and provides important diagnostic and treatment options for a number of hearing and language disorders.
• Scientists employ new light-activated circuits to explore how the brain functions in both normal and pathological situations.
• How a person reads another's facial cues can affect an individual's ability to engage socially. Research focuses on how the brain recognizes and processes facial data in typical social interactions and how people with disorders like autism, Williams, Rett's, Fragile X, and Timothy syndromes can vary in their ability to engage with others.