Multi-scale Causation in Brain Dynamics

• For any complex system, consisting of several organizational levels, the problem of causation is profound. Usually, science considers upward causation as funda-mental, paying less or no attention to any downward causation. This is also true for the nervous system, where cortical neurodynamics, or even higher mental functions of the brain are normally considered causally dependent on the nerve cell activity, or even the activity at the ion channel level. This study presents both upward and downward causation in cortical neural systems, using computational methods with focus on cortical fluctuations. We have developed models of paleo- and neocortical structures, in order to study their mesoscopic neurodynamics, as a link between the microscopic neuronal and macroscopic mental events and pro-cesses. We demonstrate how both noise and chaos may play a role for the func-tions of cortical structures. While microscopic random noise may trigger meso- or macroscopic states, the nonlinear dynamics at these levels may also affect the ac-tivity at the microscopic level.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Bioinformatik och systembiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology (hsv//eng)

HUMANIORA  -- Filosofi, etik och religion -- Filosofi (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Philosophy, Ethics and Religion -- Philosophy (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Neurovetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Neurosciences (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Biofysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Biophysics (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Data- och informationsvetenskap -- Annan data- och informationsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Computer and Information Sciences -- Other Computer and Information Science (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Strukturbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Structural Biology (hsv//eng)

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