Emergence of free will and consciousness in humans: implications for doctor-patient interactions

2018 ◽  
Vol 94 (1112) ◽  
pp. 354-356
Author(s):  
Philip D Welsby
Keyword(s):  
Free Will ◽  
Personal Responsibility ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Voting Systems ◽  
Patient Interactions ◽  
Will Self ◽  
Human Brains ◽  
Correct Voting ◽  
The Brain

Human brains have about 100 billion neurons each with about 1000 dendritic connections with other neurons giving a total of 100 000 billion deterministic dendritic switches. Various voting systems that the brain may use can produce conflicting results from identical inputs without any indication as to which one or ones would be correct. Voting systems cannot deliver unequivocal results in any other than the simplest situations. It is hypothesised that these conflicting results provide an indeterminacy that underlies free will, self-awareness, awareness of others, consciousness and personal responsibility, all of which can influence doctor-patient interactions.

The brain minds whether we believ in free will

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Rigoni ◽  
M. Brass ◽  
B. Burle
Keyword(s):  
Free Will ◽  
The Brain

Consciousness, law of nature, and nomological determinism

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyang Yu
Keyword(s):  
Free Will ◽  
Important Thing ◽  
Law Of Nature ◽  
The World ◽  
The Law ◽  
The Brain

Nomological determinism does not mean everything is predictable. It just means everything follows the law of nature. And the most important thing Is that the brain and consciousness follow the law of nature. In other words, there is no free will. Without life, brain and consciousness, the world follows law of nature, that is clear. The life and brain are also part of nature, and they follow the law of nature. This is due to scientific findings. There are not enough scientific findings for consciousness yet. But I think that the consciousness is a nature phenomenon, and it also follows the law of nature.

The ”true me”—one or many?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris Berent ◽  
Melanie Platt
Keyword(s):  
Free Will ◽  
Optimality Theory ◽  
The Self ◽  
True Self ◽  
Behavioral Test ◽  
Brain Scan ◽  
Moral Behaviors ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Constraint Ranking

Recent results suggest that people hold a notion of the true self, distinct from the self. Here, we seek to further elucidate the “true me”—whether it is good or bad, material or immaterial. Critically, we ask whether the true self is unitary. To address these questions, we invited participants to reason about John—a character who simultaneously exhibits both positive and negative moral behaviors. John’s character was gauged via two tests--a brain scan and a behavioral test, whose results invariably diverged (i.e., one test indicated that John’s moral core is positive and another negative). Participants assessed John’s true self along two questions: (a) Did John commit his acts (positive and negative) freely? and (b) What is John’s essence really? Responses to the two questions diverged. When asked to evaluate John’s moral core explicitly (by reasoning about his free will), people invariably descried John’s true self as good. But when John’s moral core was assessed implicitly (by considering his essence), people sided with the outcomes of the brain test. These results demonstrate that people hold conflicting notions of the true self. We formally support this proposal by presenting a grammar of the true self, couched within Optimality Theory. We show that the constraint ranking necessary to capture explicit and implicit view of the true self are distinct. Our intuitive belief in a true unitary “me” is thus illusory.

scholarly journals MicroRNA profiling of the pig periaqueductal grey (PAG) region reveals candidates potentially related to sex-dependent differences

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaudia Pawlina-Tyszko ◽  
Maria Oczkowicz ◽  
Artur Gurgul ◽  
Tomasz Szmatoła ◽  
Monika Bugno-Poniewierska
Keyword(s):  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Differential Expression Analysis ◽  
Mirna Profile ◽  
Human Model ◽  
Periaqueductal Grey ◽  
Neurological Research ◽  
Downstream Analysis ◽  
Neuron Growth ◽  
Human Brains ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Background MicroRNAs indirectly orchestrate myriads of essential biological processes. A wide diversity of miRNAs of the neurodevelopmental importance characterizes the brain tissue, which, however, exhibits region-specific miRNA profile differences. One of the most conservative regions of the brain is periaqueductal grey (PAG) playing vital roles in significant functions of this organ, also those observed to be sex-influenced. The domestic pig is an important livestock species but is also believed to be an excellent human model. This is of particular importance for neurological research because of the similarity of pig and human brains as well as difficult access to human samples. However, the pig PAG profile has not been characterized so far. Moreover, molecular bases of sex differences connected with brain functioning, including miRNA expression profiles, have not been fully deciphered yet. Methods Thus, in this study, we applied next-generation sequencing to characterize pig PAG expressed microRNAs. Furthermore, we performed differential expression analysis between females and males to identify changes of the miRNA profile and reveal candidates underlying sex-related differences. Results As a result, known brain-enriched, and new miRNAs which will expand the available profile, were identified. The downstream analysis revealed 38 miRNAs being differentially expressed (DE) between female and male samples. Subsequent pathway analysis showed that they enrich processes vital for neuron growth and functioning, such as long-term depression and axon guidance. Among the identified sex-influenced miRNAs were also those associated with the PAG physiology and diseases related to this region. Conclusions The obtained results broaden the knowledge on the porcine PAG miRNAome, along with its dynamism reflected in different isomiR signatures. Moreover, they indicate possible mechanisms associated with sex-influenced differences mediated via miRNAs in the PAG functioning. They also provide candidate miRNAs for further research concerning, i.e., sex-related bases of physiological and pathological processes occurring in the nervous system. Graphical abstract

scholarly journals Free will and neurosurgical resections of the supplementary motor area: a critical review

2021 ◽  
Vol 163 (5) ◽  
pp. 1229-1237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rickard L Sjöberg
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Free Will ◽  
Corticospinal Tract ◽  
Supplementary Motor Area ◽  
Personal Responsibility ◽  
Motor Area ◽  
Simple Motor ◽  
Motor Actions ◽  
Intense Debate

Abstract Background Research suggests that unconscious activity in the supplementary motor area (SMA) precedes not only certain simple motor actions but also the point at which we become aware of our intention to perform such actions. The extent to which these findings have implications for our understanding of the concepts of free will and personal responsibility has been subject of intense debate during the latest four decades. Methods This research is discussed in relation to effects of neurosurgical removal of the SMA in a narrative review. Results Removal of the SMA typically causes a transient inability to perform non-stimulus-driven, voluntary actions. This condition, known as the SMA syndrome, does not appear to be associated with a loss of sense of volition but with a profound disruption of executive function/cognitive control. Conclusions The role of the SMA may be to serve as a gateway between the corticospinal tract and systems for executive function. Such systems are typically seen as tools for conscious decisions. What is known about effects of SMA resections would thus seem to suggest a view that is compatible with concepts of personal responsibility. However, the philosophical question whether free will exists cannot be definitely resolved on the basis of these observations.

scholarly journals Limbic Expression of mRNA Coding for Chemoreceptors in Human Brain—Lessons from Brain Atlases

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 6858
Author(s):  
Fanny Gaudel ◽  
Gaëlle Guiraudie-Capraz ◽  
François Féron
Keyword(s):  
G Proteins ◽  
The Body ◽  
Trace Amines ◽  
Chemical Senses ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Human Brains ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Brain Atlases

Animals strongly rely on chemical senses to uncover the outside world and adjust their behaviour. Chemical signals are perceived by facial sensitive chemosensors that can be clustered into three families, namely the gustatory (TASR), olfactory (OR, TAAR) and pheromonal (VNR, FPR) receptors. Over recent decades, chemoreceptors were identified in non-facial parts of the body, including the brain. In order to map chemoreceptors within the encephalon, we performed a study based on four brain atlases. The transcript expression of selected members of the three chemoreceptor families and their canonical partners was analysed in major areas of healthy and demented human brains. Genes encoding all studied chemoreceptors are transcribed in the central nervous system, particularly in the limbic system. RNA of their canonical transduction partners (G proteins, ion channels) are also observed in all studied brain areas, reinforcing the suggestion that cerebral chemoreceptors are functional. In addition, we noticed that: (i) bitterness-associated receptors display an enriched expression, (ii) the brain is equipped to sense trace amines and pheromonal cues and (iii) chemoreceptor RNA expression varies with age, but not dementia or brain trauma. Extensive studies are now required to further understand how the brain makes sense of endogenous chemicals.

scholarly journals Consciousness, decision making, and volition: freedom beyond chance and necessity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Liljenström
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Free Will ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Neural Information ◽  
Neural Information Processing ◽  
Stochastic Population Model ◽  
The Brain

AbstractWhat is the role of consciousness in volition and decision-making? Are our actions fully determined by brain activity preceding our decisions to act, or can consciousness instead affect the brain activity leading to action? This has been much debated in philosophy, but also in science since the famous experiments by Libet in the 1980s, where the current most common interpretation is that conscious free will is an illusion. It seems that the brain knows, up to several seconds in advance what “you” decide to do. These studies have, however, been criticized, and alternative interpretations of the experiments can be given, some of which are discussed in this paper. In an attempt to elucidate the processes involved in decision-making (DM), as an essential part of volition, we have developed a computational model of relevant brain structures and their neurodynamics. While DM is a complex process, we have particularly focused on the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) for its emotional, and the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) for its cognitive aspects. In this paper, we present a stochastic population model representing the neural information processing of DM. Simulation results seem to confirm the notion that if decisions have to be made fast, emotional processes and aspects dominate, while rational processes are more time consuming and may result in a delayed decision. Finally, some limitations of current science and computational modeling will be discussed, hinting at a future development of science, where consciousness and free will may add to chance and necessity as explanation for what happens in the world.

Who's in charge? Free will and the science of the brain

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
David E. J. Linden
Keyword(s):  
Free Will ◽  
The Brain

scholarly journals ApoE4 attenuates autophagy via FoxO3a repression in the brain

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hee-Young Sohn ◽  
Seong-Ik Kim ◽  
Jee-Yun Park ◽  
Sung-Hye Park ◽  
Young Ho Koh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Risk ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Multiple Roles ◽  
Lipid Transport ◽  
Phosphorylated Tau ◽  
Phosphorylation Level ◽  
Ε4 Allele ◽  
Human Brains ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Novel Therapeutic

AbstractApolipoprotein E (ApoE) plays multiple roles in lipid transport, neuronal signaling, glucose metabolism, mitochondrial function, and inflammation in the brain. It is also associated with neurodegenerative diseases, and its influence differs depending on the isoform. In particular, the ε4 allele of APOE is the highest genetic risk factor for developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the mechanism by which ApoE4 contributes to the pathogenesis of AD remains unclear. We investigated the effect of ApoE4 on autophagy in the human brains of ApoE4 carriers. Compared to non-carriers, the expression of FoxO3a regulating autophagy-related genes was significantly reduced in ApoE4 carriers, and the phosphorylation level of FoxO3a at Ser253 increased in ApoE4 carriers, indicating that FoxO3a is considerably repressed in ApoE4 carriers. As a result, the protein expression of FoxO3a downstream genes, such as Atg12, Beclin-1, BNIP3, and PINK1, was significantly decreased, likely leading to dysfunction of both autophagy and mitophagy in ApoE4 carriers. In addition, phosphorylated tau accumulated more in ApoE4 carriers than in non-carriers. Taken together, our results suggest that ApoE4 might attenuate autophagy via the repression of FoxO3a in AD pathogenesis. The regulation of the ApoE4-FoxO3a axis may provide a novel therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of AD with the APOE4 allele.

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