The brain’s internal ruler

MIT McGovern Institute researchers discovered a brainstem circuit in mice that converts whisker touch signals into a precise map of object distances from the face. Neurons in the brainstem are tuned to discrete distances, collectively forming a ruler-like representation spanning the full reach of the longest whiskers. The circuit works by comparing excitatory and inhibitory inputs from different whisker sensory neurons through a subtraction mechanism, transforming proximity signals into an accurate egocentric distance map. The findings shed light on how the brain represents peripersonal space — the space immediately surrounding the body — which is critical for movement and environmental interaction.

Nguồn: https://news.mit.edu/2026/the-brains-internal-ruler-0707. 8sync News chỉ tóm tắt và dẫn link; bản quyền nội dung thuộc tác giả và nguồn gốc.