Reentry (neural circuitry)
Encyclopedia
Reentry is a neural structuring
of the brain
, specifically in humans, which is hypothesized to allow for widely distributed groups of neuron
s to achieve integrated
and synchronized firing
, which is proposed to be a requirement for consciousness
, as outlined by Gerald Edelman
and Giulio Tononi
in their book A Universe of Consciousness.
Biological neural network
In neuroscience, a biological neural network describes a population of physically interconnected neurons or a group of disparate neurons whose inputs or signalling targets define a recognizable circuit. Communication between neurons often involves an electrochemical process...
of the brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
, specifically in humans, which is hypothesized to allow for widely distributed groups of neuron
Neuron
A neuron is an electrically excitable cell that processes and transmits information by electrical and chemical signaling. Chemical signaling occurs via synapses, specialized connections with other cells. Neurons connect to each other to form networks. Neurons are the core components of the nervous...
s to achieve integrated
Multimodal integration
Multimodal integration, also known as multisensory integration, is the study of how information from the different sensory modalities, such as sight, sound, touch, smell, self-motion and taste, may be integrated by the nervous system. A coherent representation of objects combining modalities...
and synchronized firing
Action potential
In physiology, an action potential is a short-lasting event in which the electrical membrane potential of a cell rapidly rises and falls, following a consistent trajectory. Action potentials occur in several types of animal cells, called excitable cells, which include neurons, muscle cells, and...
, which is proposed to be a requirement for consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
, as outlined by Gerald Edelman
Gerald Edelman
Gerald Maurice Edelman is an American biologist who shared the 1972 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work with Rodney Robert Porter on the immune system. Edelman's Nobel Prize-winning research concerned discovery of the structure of antibody molecules...
and Giulio Tononi
Giulio Tononi
Giulio Tononi is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin. He is an authority on sleep, and in particular the genetics and etiology of sleep.He is also interested in the nature of consciousness,...
in their book A Universe of Consciousness.
See also
- Neural DarwinismNeural DarwinismNeural Darwinism, a large scale theory of brain function by Gerald Edelman, was initially published in 1978, in a book called The Mindful Brain...
- Primary consciousnessPrimary consciousnessPrimary consciousness is a term the American biologist Gerald Edelman coined to describe the ability, found in humans and some animals, to integrate observed events with memory to create an awareness of the present and immediate past of the world around them. This form of consciousness is also...
- Secondary consciousnessSecondary consciousnessSecondary consciousness, a term coined by Gerald Edelman, is an individual’s accessibility of their past history and future plans, as well as consciousness of their consciousness. The ability allows its possessors to go beyond the limits of the remembered present of primary consciousness. Primary...
- Embodied philosophy
- EmbodimentEmbodimentEmbodied or embodiment may refer to:in psychology and philosophy,*Embodied cognition , a position in cognitive science and the philosophy of mind emphasizing the role that the body plays in shaping the mind...
- Gerald EdelmanGerald EdelmanGerald Maurice Edelman is an American biologist who shared the 1972 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work with Rodney Robert Porter on the immune system. Edelman's Nobel Prize-winning research concerned discovery of the structure of antibody molecules...
- Giulio TononiGiulio TononiGiulio Tononi is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin. He is an authority on sleep, and in particular the genetics and etiology of sleep.He is also interested in the nature of consciousness,...