Mexican and Belgian researchers have discovered how the brain processes sensory information, particularly the perception of touch. By studying the somatosensory cortex (S2), they identified two types of signals: one linked to raw information, the other to the abstract properties of the stimulus. This mechanism enables the brain to classify stimuli without disturbance. The study shows that these signals coexist thanks to representations in distinct neural subspaces, activated according to the context. These results could help to better understand disorders such as ADHD and improve the design of intelligent sensors inspired by the brain's efficiency.
The Neuroengineering Laboratory of ULiège remains committed to studying the issue. In the meantime, this is further confirmation that, in addition to interdisciplinary collaboration between the two fields of engineering and the neurosciences, cooperation between our higher education institutions in Wallonia-Brussels and researchers from universities abroad is constructive and moves science forward!