Relation between Spontaneous and Stimulus-Induced Activity: Interaction Model of Brain

2018 ◽  
pp. 27-54
Author(s):  
Georg Northoff
Keyword(s):  
Spontaneous Activity ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Interaction Model ◽  
Fundamental Principle ◽  
Additive Interaction ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Coding Strategy ◽  
Evoked Activity ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain

The brain and especially its spontaneous activity have been the subject of intense study in both neuroscience and philosophy (as for instance by Klein 2014). However, what exactly counts as spontaneous activity as well as its relationship with stimulus-induced or task-evoked activity remain matters of debate. I here focus on the second aspect, the relationship between spontaneous and stimulus-induced activity. I suggest two different models of their relationship, parallelism and interactionism. I weigh the empirical evidence for and against both models and tentatively suggest that it speaks in favour of interactionism wherein spontaneous and stimulus-induced activity are taken to be mutually dependent on each other and interact in a non-additive way. In addition to empirical evidence, I also discuss the non-additive interaction within the context of philosophy of science by referring to Giere’s distinction between model and fundamental principle. I suggest a particular coding strategy by the brain, e.g., difference-based coding, to underlie and make possible the interaction model – difference-based coding may therefore be regarded a fundamental principle. This complements the empirical findings I present by extrapolating some of the theoretical implications of the interactionist view.

Interaction Model of Brain and Consciousness

2018 ◽  
pp. 105-126
Author(s):  
Georg Northoff
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Vegetative State ◽  
Interaction Model ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Additive Interaction ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Nancy Cartwright ◽  
Level Of Consciousness ◽  
The Brain

In addition to the spectrum model, I also introduced an interaction model to characterize the brain’s neural activity (chapter 2). Is the interaction model of brain also relevant for consciousness? That is the focus in the present chapter. I here present various lines of empirical evidence focusing on disorders of consciousness like vegetative state, anesthesia, and sleep. Based on empirical evidence, I show that the degree of non-additive interaction between spontaneous and stimulus-induced activity indexes the level of consciousness in a seemingly rather fine-grained way; for that reason, it may be considered a neural correlate of the level of consciousness, i.e., NCC. In contrast, the spontaneous activity and its spatiotemporal structure is rather a necessary condition of possible consciousness, that is, a neural predisposition of consciousness (NPC). The concept of NPC is further enriched by the concept of capacities for which I recruit Nancy Cartwright. I suggest that the brain’s non-additive interaction including the subsequent association of stimulus-induced activity with consciousness is based on the spontaneous activity’s capacity. Since that very same capacity, operating as NPC, can be traced to the spontaneous activity’s spatiotemporal features, I speak of “spatiotemporal capacity”. I conclude that the empirical data suggest a capacity-based approach (rather than law-based approach) to the brain and how it is related to consciousness.

Spatiotemporal Model of Consciousness II: Spatiotemporal Alignment—Neuro-ecological Continuum and World–Brain Relation

2018 ◽  
pp. 195-236
Author(s):  
Georg Northoff
Keyword(s):  
Spontaneous Activity ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Spatiotemporal Structure ◽  
Spatiotemporal Model ◽  
Time Consciousness ◽  
Spatiotemporal Scales ◽  
World Brain ◽  
The Brain

Consciousness is neuronal as it is based on the brain and its neural activity. This is what neuroscience tell us citing strong empirical evidence. At the same time, consciousness is ecological in that it extends beyond the brain to body and world – this is what philosophers tell us when they invoke concepts like embodiment, embeddedness, extendedness, and enactment. Is consciousness neuronal or ecological? This amounts to what I describe as “argument of inclusion”: do we need to include body and world in our account of the brain and how is that very same inclusion important for consciousness? I argue that the “spatiotemporal model” of consciousness can well address the “argument of inclusion” by linking and integrating both neuronal and ecological characterizations of consciousness. I demonstrate various data showing how the brain’s spontaneous activity couples and aligns itself to the spatiotemporal structure in the ongoing activities of both body and world. That amounts to a specific spatiotemporal mechanism of the brain that I describe as ‘spatiotemporal alignment’. Conceptually, such ‘spatiotemporal alignment’ corresponds to “body-brain relation” and “world-brain relation”, as I say. World-brain relation and body-brain relation allow for spatiotemporal relation and integration between the different spatiotemporal scales or ranges of world, body, and brain with all three being spatiotemporally aligned and nested within each other. Based on various empirical findings, I argue that such spatiotemporal nestedness between world, body, and brain establishes a “neuro-ecological continuum” and world-brain relation. Both neuro-ecological continuum and world-brain relation are here understood in an empirical sense and can be regarded as necessary condition of possible consciousness, i.e., neural predisposition of consciousness (NPC) (as distinguished from the neural correlates of consciousness/NCC). In sum, the spatiotemporal model determines consciousness by “neuro-ecological continuum” and world-brain relation (with body-brain relation being a subset). Taken in such sense, the spatiotemporal model can well address the “argument of inclusion”. We need to include body and world in our account of the brain in terms of “neuro-ecological continuum” and world-brain relation since otherwise, due to their role as NPC, consciousness remains impossible.

Drugs and Drug Policy

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A.R. Kleiman ◽  
Jonathan P. Caulkins ◽  
Angela Hawken
Keyword(s):  
Drug Policy ◽  
Illicit Trade ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Control Drug ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Drugs And Crime ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Drug Free ◽  
The Brain

While there have always been norms and customs around the use of drugs, explicit public policies--regulations, taxes, and prohibitions--designed to control drug abuse are a more recent phenomenon. Those policies sometimes have terrible side-effects: most prominently the development of criminal enterprises dealing in forbidden (or untaxed) drugs and the use of the profits of drug-dealing to finance insurgency and terrorism. Neither a drug-free world nor a world of free drugs seems to be on offer, leaving citizens and officials to face the age-old problem: What are we going to do about drugs? In Drugs and Drug Policy, three noted authorities survey the subject with exceptional clarity, in this addition to the acclaimed series, What Everyone Needs to Know. They begin by, defining "drugs, " examining how they work in the brain, discussing the nature of addiction, and exploring the damage they do to users. The book moves on to policy, answering questions about legalization, the role of criminal prohibitions, and the relative legal tolerance for alcohol and tobacco. The authors then dissect the illicit trade, from street dealers to the flow of money to the effect of catching kingpins, and show the precise nature of the relationship between drugs and crime. They examine treatment, both its effectiveness and the role of public policy, and discuss the beneficial effects of some abusable substances. Finally they move outward to look at the role of drugs in our foreign policy, their relationship to terrorism, and the ugly politics that surround the issue. Crisp, clear, and comprehensive, this is a handy and up-to-date overview of one of the most pressing topics in today's world.

scholarly journals Study of the Functional Brain Connectivity and Lower-Limb Motor Imagery Performance After Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (08) ◽  
pp. 2050038
Author(s):  
Mario Ortiz ◽  
Eduardo Iáñez ◽  
Jorge A. Gaxiola-Tirado ◽  
David Gutiérrez ◽  
José M. Azorín
Keyword(s):  
Motor Imagery ◽  
Direct Current ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Brain Connectivity ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Learning Tasks ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Accuracy Performance

The use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been related to the improvement of motor and learning tasks. The current research studies the effects of an asymmetric tDCS setup over brain connectivity, when the subject is performing a motor imagery (MI) task during five consecutive days. A brain–computer interface (BCI) based on electroencephalography is simulated in offline analysis to study the effect that tDCS has over different electrode configurations for the BCI. This way, the BCI performance is used as a validation index of the effect of the tDCS setup by the analysis of the classifier accuracy of the experimental sessions. In addition, the relationship between the brain connectivity and the BCI accuracy performance is analyzed. Results indicate that tDCS group, in comparison to the placebo sham group, shows a higher significant number of connectivity interactions in the motor electrodes during MI tasks and an increasing BCI accuracy over the days. However, the asymmetric tDCS setup does not improve the BCI performance of the electrodes in the intended hemisphere.

Time Estimation and Juvenile Delinquency

1994 ◽  
Vol 79 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1559-1565 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. Carrillo-De-La-Peña ◽  
M. A. Luengo
Keyword(s):  
Juvenile Delinquency ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Time Perception ◽  
Time Estimation ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Time Intervals ◽  
Delinquent Activity ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Short Time ◽  
The Relationship

Certain empirical evidence suggests that subjects prone to delinquent activity may have faster internal clocks than others. To investigate the relationship between antisocial behavior and time perception and its dependence on the experimental time interval and method and on whether the subject is institutionalized we obtained verbal and production estimates of 5-, 15-, 30-, and 60-sec. intervals from 249 adolescents (156 school attenders and 93 institutionalized subjects) classified into 3 groups according to the intensity of their antisocial activity. Results provide no support for the hypothesis that overestimation of short time intervals is associated with either juvenile delinquency or institutionalization.

Treatment Of Sexual Dysfunctions In The "Doctor D" Hospital In Uzbekistan

2020 ◽  
Vol 02 (12) ◽  
pp. 134-140
Author(s):  
Sakellion Dimitrios Nikolaos ◽  
◽  
Irgashev Dilmurad Saatovich ◽  
Alimov Ulugbek Khudoyarovich ◽  
Sultanov Shokhrukh Khabibullaevich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Sexual Disorders ◽  
Neurophysiological Monitoring ◽  
Clinical Hypnosis ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain

Long-term studies of clinical hypnosis at the "Doctor D" hospital in Uzbekistan demonstrate the effectiveness of this method in the treatment of various sexual disorders. This is confirmed by the change in the behavior of the subject in interpersonal relationships. Neurophysiological monitoring objectively confirms the change in the biorhythmic activity of the brain towards positive emotions, with the resurrection of feelings in the relationship of spouses.

scholarly journals OCT STUDIES IN SCHIZOPHRENIA: CURRENT EVIDENCE AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 769-777
Author(s):  
Ushna Usman ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Changes ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Structural Alterations ◽  
Comprehensive Search ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Neuroimaging Techniques

Background: Schizophrenia is a detrimental neurodevelopmental disorder that affects nearly 1 % of the population worldwide. Although schizophrenia ranks among the leading causes of global disease-related disability, definitive investigations do not exist for its diagnosis at present. Since the retina is derived from the same neural layer that the brain develops from, OCT imaging of retina can provide valuable information regarding underlying pathology of schizophrenia. Objectives: This review aims at describing the potential relevance of OCT studies 1) in understanding current insights into retinal structural changes in schizophrenia 2) in understanding the relationship between retinal structural alterations and disease progression and chronicity 3) and to determine the potential role of retinal changes as biomarkers of schizophrenia. Methodology: A comprehensive search of databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar and Medline was conducted using the keywords: schizophrenia, retina, OCT and RNFL changes. Relevant articles were identified and their key findings summarized in this review. Conclusion: OCT studies in schizophrenia patients conducted in recent years continue to provide evidence of retinal structural alterations associated with schizophrenia. However, the findings of these studies vary and there is a need to conduct further studies for clarification regarding the subject. The application of OCT and other neuroimaging techniques to correlate retinal structural alterations with schizophrenia may potentially help establish the role of retinal variables as biomarkers for the disease, and may open a gateway for better diagnostic investigations in schizophrenia.

scholarly journals Notes For Supporting An Epistemological Neuropsychology: Contributions From Three Perspectives

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-118
Author(s):  
Mauricio Barrera Valencia ◽  
Liliana Calderón Delgado
Keyword(s):  
Subject Matter ◽  
Historical Perspective ◽  
The Other ◽  
Cognitive Neuropsychology ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Dual Status ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Epistemological Basis

A review of the epistemological basis of neuropsychology is done in order to clarify its foundations and its dual status as a discipline rooted in biology and psychology. This work is justified from two fundamental issues that are faced by neuropsychology: from an external perspective based on the upswing of certain disciplines, which by definition seem to have similar subjects of study to neuropsychology; however, given the complexity of the study of the relationship between the behavior and the brain, it leads to a duplicity of efforts that do not add anything to the understanding of the subject matter. On the other hand, from an internal perspective, the main issue appears when diverse theoretical positions are presented within neuropsychology as schools that must stand as if they were the only perspective. To provide a tentative answer, this paper reviews three theoretical approaches within neuropsychology: Russian reflexology and the cultural-historical perspective, connectionism, and cognitive neuropsychology. The conclusion leads towards a set of principles that, as a proposal, should guide the discipline development.

scholarly journals Brain through the Lens of Biocultural Co-Constructivism

2020 ◽  
pp. 31-38
Author(s):  
Valentin Bazhanov
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Development ◽  
Specific Situation ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Subject Of Cognition ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Empirical Material ◽  
Active Interaction

The article briefly outlines the idea of biocultural co-constructivism and, through its lens, provides insights into the interaction of society, culture and the brain as a holistic system with active mutual impacts of each component, which allows talking about the phenomenon of “social brain”. It is shown that socio-cultural factors have a significant impact on the functions of neural structures, their activity and the restructuring of the architectonics of the brain even at the macroscopic level. The paths of natural and cultural development are expressed in co-creation, co-generation of meanings; these trajectories cross and form a system that ensures their active interaction and interdetermination. Culture defines the perspective of classification, outlook and the modes of its evaluation; it sort of filters out fragments of reality that do not fit into the cultural “grid of categories”. This helps to conclude that the idea of a “cognitive and versatile” subject of cognition should be rethought in view of new empirical material provided by cultural neuroscience. The subject of cognition in the context of biocultural co-constructivism is “linked” to a specific situation that characterizes the relationship of society, culture and the brain. The modern neuroscience makes the need for naturalism and sociocentrism obvious, suggests the shift towards revising the rigorous attitudes of logocentrism and the prospects for knowledge deanthropologization.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document