China-led research published online in Science on the 16th shows dendritic
branches within a single neuron can perform key computations underpinning higher
cognition, challenging the view of neurons as simple network nodes, Xu Ninglong,
a researcher at the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence
Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said. The team says the finding
indicates single-neuron mechanisms can support flexible behavior and could
inform AI designs based on multi-compartment dendritic computation.