About Us Portfolio Press Careers Sitemap Advertise Contact Us Make this your Homepage

Custom Search

Register

Sign In

Sign In Using Facebook

Home » Research News

When Drawing A Cartoon, Our Brains Will 'Join The Dots'!

by Tanya on March 22, 2009 at 11:25 AM Research News

A new study has thrown light on the role the brain plays when drawing a cartoon face from memory. Researchers say that the brain remembers key locations and literally "joins the dots" using a straight or curved line, thus achieving the desired image on paper.

Related Links

The study led by Miall, Gowen and Tchalenko has revealed that the captured visual information is stored as a series of locations or action plans to reach those locations.

During the study, participants who had no particular expertise as artists were studied using an MRI scanner to measure levels of oxygen in the brain.

They viewed black and white cartoons of faces, and were asked to reproduce them using pencil and paper.

The findings showed that looking at the cartoons activated visual processing areas of the brain, which are responsive to faces, especially if the cartoon was displayed at the same time as they produced the drawing.

However, there was no maintained activity in those areas when the subjects had to wait before drawing, which indicated that the memory of the cartoon face is transformed into a different, non-visual form.

In fact, the researchers noticed increased activity in parietal cortex and frontal areas consistent with the encoding and retention of the spatial information as an action plan, representing a series of targets for ocular fixation or as spatial targets for the drawing action.

Page 1

Page 1 | 2

Next

'I'm Using Denial As Defence To Deal With Life', Says Octomum

Scientists Find That Music Feeds The Soul - Universally!

More News on: Brain Facts, Ataxia

Comment & Contribute

Be the first to comment!
Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. Comments are normally moderated and are reviewed after they are posted.
* Your comment can be maximum of 2500 characters
	Notify me when reply is posted I agree to the terms and conditions
Your comments are automatically posted once they are submitted. All comments are however constantly reviewed for spam and irrelevant material (such as product or personal advertisements, email addresses, telephone numbers and website address). Such insertions do not conform to our policy and 'Terms of Use' and are either deleted or edited and republished. Please keep your comments brief and relevant.This section may also have questions seeking help. If you have the information you are welcome to respond, but please ensure that the information so provided is genuine and not misleading.

Medwonders Health Network

Support Groups Members Discussions

Total Members - 54992
Support Groups - 445

Health News Index

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Latest News Most Popular Most Commented

Organ Damage in Inflammatory Genetic Disorder Arrested by Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug

Kids' Gadget Perplex 1 In 6 Parents

Immune System Regulation Directly Affected If Raised on a Farm

Shortly, Memory- Impaired Patients to Get Smartphone 'Prescription'

Sporting Activity in Excess Could Mar Long-Term Success of Hip Resurfacing

News Archive
Date :
Category :
Keyword :

News Quick Links

	News Central			Health Watch
	Latest Health News			Health In Focus
	News Category (500+)			Breaking Health News
	Popular News			Celebrating Life
	Health News and Press Release			Medindia - Exclusive
	News Photo Gallery			India Special
	News Video Gallery			Lifestyle and Wellness
	News From Other Resources

News Categories:


»	Billet Doux to Become History!

»	Study Says Self-Rated Health Important Indicator of Physical Well-Being

»	Poll Reveals 77% Pakistanis Marry Within Extended Family

»	German Men Buy the Cheapest Valentine's Day Gifts

»	Pharma Saleswomen Offer Sex To Meet Their Sales Target
More Life Style News

Research Related News
»	Organ Damage in Inflammatory Genetic Disorder Arrested by Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug	»	Immune System Regulation Directly Affected If Raised on a Farm
»	Shortly, Memory- Impaired Patients to Get Smartphone 'Prescription'	»	Sporting Activity in Excess Could Mar Long-Term Success of Hip Resurfacing
»	Spread of Clostridium Difficile in Hospitals Probably Not by Contact With Infected Patients	»	Study Finds Cognitive Performance Decline After Natural Disasters
»	Study Provides Evidence of Malaria's Impact on Fetal Growth	»	Research Sheds Light on Usefulness of Bubble-Propelled Microrockets

Read More >>

Adolescent Depression Support Group	Agoraphobia Support Group	Alcohol abuse / Alcohol dependence / Alcoholism Support Group
Alcohol and Driving Support Group	Anorexia Nervosa Support Group	Anxiety Disorder Support Group
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Support Group	Binge Eating : The Pleasure and Pain Support Group	Bruxism / Tooth Grinding / Jaw Clenching / Teeth Clenching / Parasomnia Support Group

When Drawing A Cartoon, Our Brains Will 'Join The Dots'!

Medwonders Health Network

Research Related News

Consumers

Medical Professionals

Medical Students

Directories