INSPIRATION comes from many a weird and wonderful place, but when it comes to studying the power of the human brain and its ability to recognise faces, you might not instantly connect that to HBO's hit TV show Game of Thrones.
But the inter-generational battle for control of Westeros has proven to be the perfect stimuli for psychologists from the University of York in the UK to understand how the brain connects faces to the role of the cerebral cortex.
Dig deeper though and there is a very worthwhile point to the study, apart from watching eight seasons of the show.
The study aimed to provide new insights into prosopagnosia or facial blindness, which affects one in every 50 people.
Researchers scanned the brains of 70 volunteers as they watched Jon Snow battle the White Walkers or one of the many other antagonists.
Half of the test subjects were familiar with the wildly complex and chaotic storylines, while the other half had never seen GOT.
MRI scans during the testing phase noted increased activity in parts of the brain associated with non-visual knowledge, with stronger connections among those familiar with the show.
The study was repeated by people with prosopagnosia, half of whom knew the show, with results showing an expected difficulty in recognising faces.
Researchers say the study will help advance knowledge and treatment of the condition.
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