Neuronal circuitry dynamics is the key to understand the brain

The function of the brain, and how its diseases arise and impact brain operation, can only be understood by knowing how its neurons dynamically cooperate globally across the brain.

The field of neuroscience is currently lacking both the conceptual framework and the appropriate level of analysis to approach this question.

Here we will establish a novel analysis framework for describing the functional dynamics of the globally densely interconnected circuits of the brain in vivo.

We will first record and model the dynamic circuitry mechanisms of the cortical perceptual processes in complex haptic interactions.

This will emanate in a circuitry level explanatory model for cortical predictive coding, i.e.perception, imagination and thought processes.

Cortical perception is the brain’s main functional feature, around which its interactions with the world are centered.

We believe that non-cortical circuitry primarily subserves this perception function, and will thereby provide novel models of the thalamus, basal ganglia and the monoamine systems/hypothalamus.

Thereby, we will also extend our circuitry models to explain how diverse specific functions for making predictions of various real world phenomena can autonomously be learnt and dynamically invoked. The work will result in new models of what neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases, i.e.

Alzheimer, Parkinson, psychoses, functionally represent and what specific functional impacts they have at the circuitry level.