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

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

• [Cortex to Old Brain]