BrainPictures

Neocortex Research

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Biological Overview

Biological Hierarchy

• Full Biological Hierarchy
• Reduced Biological Hierarchy

Links to Common Terms

• head
  • sensors
  • sensor data tract
  • sensor control tract
  • brain
• body (spinal cord)
  • effectors
  • body feeling components
  • body feeling data tract
  • body feeling modulation tract
  • effectors control tract
  • effectors feedback tract
  • effectors feeling tract

Biological Model

Biological Module View

Modules are defined as follows:

Module and allocated areas	Functions	Flows
Head Sensors Area (HSA)	Owned Functions capture events from external world capture static data from external world expressing sensing behaviour Involved in Functions perceptions of various modalities pay attention to selected area / overt attention tracking objects / covert attention saccadic perception / covert attention	Inbound (External World) -> sensor data PCA -> BSA -> low-level sensory control in perception ACA -> BSA -> attention area selection Outbound sensory data -> BSA perception control feedback -> THA -> PCA attention sensor control feedback -> THA -> ACA sensory state expression -> (External World)
Thalamus Area (THA) diencephalon thalamus hypothalamus limbic system septal nuclei	Owned Functions visceral control center of the body relaying sensation, spatial sense and motor signals to the cerebral cortex regulation of consciousness, sleep and alertness control memory, attention and alertness controller of theta rhythm Involved in Functions effector control system perceptions of various modalities cortical regulation of the thalamic activity modulatory, life support and the sleep/wake cycle attention, planning, organization abstract thinking, multi-tasking and active memory	Relay BSA -> sensor data -> PCA BSA -> sensor data (lateral posterior nucleus, pulvinar) -> HCA BSA -> perception (intralaminar) -> BGA BSA -> cerebellum effector control feedback -> ACA BSA -> body sensations -> ACA BSA -> pain -> PCA HCA -> alerts, (anterior/medial nuclei) -> ACA BGA -> sensory data (ventral posterolateral/posteromedial nucleus) -> ACA BGA -> striatum effector control feedback -> ACA Reciprocal PCA -> (medial nuclei) -> PCA HCA -> (anterior nuclei) -> HCA ACA -> (medial nuclei) -> ACA
Anterior Cortex Area (ACA) frontal lobe parietal lobe primary somatosensory cortex limbic system cingulate cortex anterior cingulate cortex	Owned Functions self-consciousness / personality / identity top-level complex planning / imagination inhibition control model of good ideal behaviour / morality top-level patterned effector actions cortex individual effector actions and sensor control top-level error and conflict detection guide task selection monitor progress basic sensations of the body working memory Involved in Functions sensory integration representing the affective value of reinforcers decision-making	Inbound BGA -> THA -> sensory data PCA -> perception data HCA -> past experience HCA -> reward signals (orbitomedial PFC) BSA -> THA -> body senses THA -> bioregulatory responses Outbound current converged sensory input (pcf) -> HCA motor/behavioral commands -> PCA reward, feedback to bias flow along expectation -> PCA motor control -> BSA anti-inhibitory emotional context -> BGA inhibitory emotional context -> BGA guidance of movement -> BGA (premotor) -> THA
Posterior Cortex Area (PCA) occipital lobe parietal lobe superior parietal lobule inferior parietal lobule intraparietal sulcus general interpretation area limbic system cingulate cortex posterior cingulate cortex	Owned Functions body sensations relationships / body image opinions simple specific sensor spatial primitives intermediate specific sensor spatial and temporal patterns object representation from specific sensor episodic memory, emotion, navigation, resting Involved in Functions semantics reading both in regards to meaning and phonology guidance of limb and eye movement	Inbound HSA -> BSA -> THA -> sensory data HSA -> BSA -> THA -> sensory perception control feedback HCA -> THA -> long-term memory sequences BSA -> THA -> pain ACA -> reward, feedback to bias flow along expectation Outbound sensory data -> HCA associations -> THA -> ACA guide saccadic perception -> BSA -> HSA feelings -> ACA
Hippocampus Area (HCA) temporal lobe limbic system hippocampus fornix	Owned Functions specific sensor perception and memory working memory autobiographical/declarative/episodic memories formation and storing spatial declarative memory encoding and recognition of scenes, spatial relations detection of novel events, places and stimuli, spatial coding distinguishing multiple instances of similar events, multiple visits to the same location emotional and affective state distinguishing stress and depression assigning stimuli to categorical classes habits, visceral sensations Involved in Functions memory consolidation memory optimization in sleep recognition and identification of environmental stimuli	Inbound PCA -> primary and secondary sensory perception PCA -> polymodal/associative sensory perception ACA -> converged sensory input BSA -> sensory input (hierarchical sensory pathway) THA -> emotional stimulus THA -> modulatory inputs THA (septum) -> (fornix) -> initiation of hippocampal thata-rithm Outbound sensory association -> BGA reward signals -> ACA past experience -> ACA mismatch signal (to raise ACh in HC to facilitate encoding) -> THA (septum) match signal (to attenuate ACh in HC to facilitate retrieval) -> THA (septum)
Basal Ganglia Area (BGA) limbic system basal ganglia amygdala	Owned Functions starting, stopping and monitoring movement inhibit unnecessary movement planning and modulation of actions, regulate actions reward, pleasure, addiction, fear reward and incentive motivation acquisition and maintenance of a new strategy mediate learning about irrelevant stimuli action selection block slow thinking quick threat assessment signalling cortex of motivationally significant stimuli Involved in Functions learning and memory system influence various types of learning	Inbound ACA -> anti-inhibitory emotional context ACA -> inhibitory emotional context HCA -> sensory association Outbound regulation -> ACA cognition -> ACA instant actions -> BSA sensory data (auditory, dorsal auditory pathway) -> PCA
Brain Stem Area (BSA) brain stem cerebellum	Owned Functions autonomic behavior, autonomic, involuntary functions integrate sensors and effectors for precise timing of actions maintain wakefulness and attention modulation of outbound effectors information preliminary specific sensor processing complex actions, sequential thinking attention, coordination, precision, and accurate timing inhibits neuronal maturation Involved in Functions control of specific sensor many unconscious homeostatic and reflexive pathways sensor control, effector planning reward seeking, learning, and addiction sleep, equilibrium, sensor control, expressing emotions control actions power and coordination of multiple actions control cerebellum/basal ganglia/neocortex effector actions planning actions	Inbound TBD Outbound TBD
Spinal Cord Area (SCA) (Body) spinal cord (peripheral nervous system)	Owned Functions body feeling affect general body state generating proprioceptive information conveys inconscient proprioceptive information Involved in Functions activate effectors distal effector actions	Inbound TBD Outbound TBD

Biological Paths

• neural pathway connecting the posterior part of the temporoparietal junction with the frontal cortex
• sensory pathway transmitting fine touch, vibration and conscious proprioceptive information from the body to the cerebral cortex
• sensory pathway originating in the spinal cord and transmitting pain, temperature, itch and crude touch to the thalamus
• pathway arising from motor area of the cerebral cortex and controlling movement of ipsilateral limbs
• pathway, conducting voluntary motor impulses from primary motor cortex to the motor centers of the cord
• pathway connecting the cerebral cortex to the medulla in brainstem, controlling muscles of the face, head and neck
• pathway connecting the left and right cerebral hemispheres and facilitating interhemispheric communication
• pathway connecting ventral tegmentum to frontal cerebral cortex, involved in motivation and emotional response
• pathway begins in midbrain and connects to striatum, amygdala, hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex
• pathway connecting substantia nigra with striatum, involved in production of movement
• intra-hypothalamus pathway, involved in regulation of lactation, menstrual cycle, vision, blood flow and sexual functions
• ventral stream travels to the temporal lobe and is involved with object identification
• dorsal stream stretches from the primary visual cortex (V1) in the occipital lobe forward into the parietal lobe
• Papez circuit, one of major pathways of limbic system and is involved in cortical control of emotion

Biological Life Pictures

Operating of the mind as a whole. Mind parts.

• From Cortex to Old Brain