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Key brain areas are discovered

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Researchers at two U.S. universities announced Wednesday they have identified the areas of the human brain that process reality and illusion.

The study by Washington University biomedical engineer Daniel Moran in St. Louis and neurobiologists at the University of Pittsburgh identified areas of the brain where what we're actually doing (reality) and what we think we're doing (illusion, or perception) are processed.

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Said Moran: "Previous studies have explored when things are perceived during an illusion, but this is the first study to show what is being perceived, instead of when it is happening"

The research shows how the mind creates its own sense of order in the world and then adjusts to eliminate distortions.

The researchers say knowing how the brain works is important in many fields, including development of biomedical devices. One goal is to eventually enable disabled people to move a prosthetic limb by just thinking about it.

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