History of Von Economo neurons

Discovered in 1881, Von Economo neurons, also known as VENs or spindle neurons, are a specific class of neurons in the brain that are responsible for assisting with quick responses in difficult situations.  VENs have been recently evolved to be part of the makeup that supports human social networking and focuses on fast intuitions combined with slow, concentrated judgments.  The latter is known as theory of mind, which is the brain’s ability to recognize certain mental states, such as beliefs, intents, desires, knowledge, and so on.  VENs emerge after a child’s birth and relatively increase until the child is four years old.  There are several theories about VENs and their effects in autism spectrum disorders and other social disabilities that can ascertain insufficient intuition.  

Biological Makeup of VENs

VENs are located in the temporal lobe and frontal cortex of the brain and are composed of a high-volumed elongated cell body..  Physically, they are roughly four to five times greater than the size of other neurons within the brain.  VENs have a single large dendrite and lack the majority of dendrite branches which contribute to the swift conduction these neurons project.

As you can see, the VEN on the left has much fewer apical and basal dendrites than the typical pyramidal neuron on the right.  This is the same on the right in a microscopic perspective.

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What makes them so special?

VENs are found in species with large brains, such as humans, primates, elephants, and a few marine mammals.  Each of these different animals have historical backgrounds in social behavior, interaction, culture, and social networking.  The neurons are linked to social intelligence, evidentially proving that evolution and adaption plays a huge factor in the biological makeup of highly intelligent species.  It is hypothesized that VENs developed no earlier than twenty million years ago, as that was the era of primate evolution.  

For more information please visit:

http://www.allmanlab.caltech.edu/PDFs/AllmanTICS2005.pdf

http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-05/unusual-neuron-could-explain-smartest-species

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