Scientists from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a new method to measure the activity of the human brain at the cellular level, thanks to brain tumor patients operated on in the “awake” state.

The new approach is based on the use of microelectrodes and has allowed researchers to study how the brain processes numbers. A study published in the journal Cell Reportsshowed that individual neurons in the participants’ brains were specialized to process certain numbers.

These neurons showed increased activity when participants were presented with the number of items assigned to them in a dot pattern. The research group’s procedure involved adapting existing technologies and using specially configured microelectrode arrays.

Thanks to brain tumor patients who voluntarily participated in the study during surgeries, the researchers gained unprecedented access to large areas of the brain.