[论文解读] Where is the mind within the brain? Transient selection of subnetworks by metabotropic receptors and G protein-gated ion channels

Danko Nikolić|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jul 11, 2022

Photoreceptor and optogenetics research被引用 20

一句话总结

本文提出一种替代范式，其中 metabotropic receptors 和 G protein-gated ion channels 存储并执行心理操作，通过暂时选择大脑子网络来实现，而不是主要依赖突触连接和网络计算。

ABSTRACT

Perhaps the most important question posed by brain research is: How the brain gives rise to the mind. To answer this question, we have primarily relied on the connectionist paradigm: The brain's entire knowledge and thinking skills are thought to be stored in the connections; and the mental operations are executed by network computations. I propose here an alternative paradigm: Our knowledge and skills are stored in metabotropic receptors (MRs) and the G protein-gated ion channels (GPGICs). Here, mental operations are assumed to be executed by the functions of MRs and GPGICs. As GPGICs have the capacity to close or open branches of dendritic trees and axon terminals, their states transiently re-route neural activity throughout the nervous system. First, MRs detect ligands that signal the need to activate GPGICs. Next, GPGICs transiently selects a subnetwork within the brain. The process of selecting this new subnetwork is what constitutes a mental operation -- be it in a form of directed attention, perception of a grandmother or making a decision. Synaptic connections and network computations play only a secondary role, supporting MRs and GPGICs. According to this new paradigm, the mind emerges within the brain as the function of MRs and GPGICs whose primary function is to continually select the pathways over which neural activity will be allowed to pass. It is argued that MRs and GPGICs solve the scaling problem of intelligence from which the connectionism paradigm suffers.

研究动机与目标

• 提出一种以 MRs 和 GPGICs 为中心的、脑中思维产生的替代范式。
• 主张心理操作是通过神经子网络的瞬时选择来执行的。
• 提出突触连接和网络计算发挥次要的辅助作用。

提出的方法

• 描述一种机制，其中配体激活 metabotropic receptors，以信号化需要参与 GPGICs。
• 解释 GPGICs 如何可瞬时打开或关闭树突和轴突分支以重新路由活动。
• 提出子网络选择构成诸如注意力或决策等的心理操作。
• 主张心灵源自 MRs 和 GPGICs 的功能，而非仅来自网络计算。

实验结果

研究问题

• RQ1 metabotropic receptors 和 G protein-gated ion channels 能否通过暂时选择大脑子网络来解释心理操作？
• RQ2 GPGICs 的子网络选择如何与注意力、知觉和决策等过程相关？
• RQ3 将重点放在 MRs 和 GPGICs 上是否能够解决连接主义方法未能解决的智能扩展问题？

主要发现

• 心灵被假设为由持续选择活动路径的 MRs 和 GPGICs 的功能所产生。
• GPGICs 被描述为能够通过开启或关闭分支来动态路由神经活动。
• 心理操作被与子网络选择相关联，而非仅与突触连接有关。
• 所提出的范式将代谢信号传导组件定位为认知过程的主要驱动因素。