The human brain is buzzing with activity after a person dies, the researchers revealed, although there appears to be a logical, non-zombie-related explanation for the bizarre phenomenon.
A new article published in Scientific Reports found that glial cells – non-neuronal cells that operate in the central nervous system – come into action hours after a person’s death. Not only do brain cells come to life, they also expand in size and develop arm-like appendages.
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The study’s author, Jeffrey Loeb, who heads neurology and rehabilitation at the University of Illinois, Chicago School of Medicine, noted that his team’s findings may come as a surprise to many people, including other researchers in his field.
“Most studies assume that everything in the brain stops when the heart stops beating, but it’s not like that”, Loeb said. “Our findings will be needed to interpret research on human brain tissues. We just haven’t quantified these changes so far. “
However, he stressed that post-mortem activity was not “Very surprising” how glial cells are inflammatory and “Their job is to clean things up after brain injuries, like oxygen deprivation or stroke.” The peculiar trait resulted in glial cells being called “Zombie gene”.
The findings will have huge implications for past and future studies involving brain samples. Until now, scientists who have used human brain tissue to research new treatments and potential cures for neurological disorders, such as autism and Alzheimer’s disease, have not taken into account the activity of postmortem cells. In other words, future research in these areas is expected to be more accurate.
But even after death, the “Zombie gene” does not live forever. Loeb’s team found that after about 24 hours, the cells ceased all activity and became indistinguishable from the degrading brain tissue.
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