Prof. Rony Paz, Head of the Department of Neurobiology, speaks about our still-mysterious brains. While they can do remarkable things, they also produce conditions such as PTSD, anxiety, autism, and the like – all of which are on the rise worldwide.
As Prof. Paz shows, every single cell in the brain communicates simultaneously with tens of thousands of other cells. Thus, if abnormality occurs in one part of the brain, it can spread, leading to mental illnesses and conditions. His lab studies communication between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and developed a model showing how overgeneralization plays a role in PTSD.
By understanding how memory is coded in the PFC, Prof. Paz aims to develop means to restore normal activity between the PFC and the amygdala, thus treating – perhaps even eradicating – PTSD. His lab is now working on autism.