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Review
. 2021 Jul 25;11(8):984.
doi: 10.3390/brainsci11080984.

Neural Circuits, Microtubule Processing, Brain's Electromagnetic Field-Components of Self-Awareness

Alicja Różyk-Myrta  1 , Andrzej Brodziak  1 , Małgorzata Muc-Wierzgoń  1
Affiliations
Review

Neural Circuits, Microtubule Processing, Brain's Electromagnetic Field-Components of Self-Awareness

Alicja Różyk-Myrta et al. Brain Sci. .

Abstract

The known theories discussing the essence of consciousness have been recently updated. This prompts an attempt to integrate these explanations concerning several distinct components of the consciousness phenomenon such as the ego, and qualia perceptions. Therefore, it is useful to consider the latest publications on the 'Orch OR' and 'cemi' theories, which assume that quantum processing occurs in microtubules and that the brain's endogenous electromagnetic field is important. The authors combine these explanations with their own theory describing the neural circuits realizing imagery. They try to present such an interdisciplinary, integrated theoretical model in a manner intuitively understandable to people with a typical medical education. In order to do this, they even refer to intuitively understandable metaphors. The authors maintain that an effective comprehension of consciousness is important for health care professionals because its disorders are frequent medical symptoms in emergencies, during general anesthesia and in the course of cognitive disorders in elderly people. The authors emphasize the current possibilities to verify these theses regarding the essence of consciousness thanks to the development of functional brain imaging methods-magnetoencephalography, transcranial magnetic stimulation-as well as clinical studies on the modification of perceptions and feelings by such techniques as mindfulness and the use of certain psychoactive substances, especially among people with self-awareness and identity disorders.

Keywords: ego dissolution; electromagnetic field; mental imagery; microtubule; self-awareness.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Diagram of the visual pathway, showing the location of object neurons and their relationship to memory systems. The diagram illustrates that the hierarchical neural structure, integrating visual information runs first to the occipital lobe, but is prolonged by afferent pathways in the temporal lobe, where so called ‘object neurons’ are located. The object neurons can be activated from the side of the speech area or by the loops of the working memory system.
Figure 2
Figure 2
There are three types of connections with the object neurons. Considering the neuronal structure that is active during the perception of a certain object, the connections from the side of the hypothalamus and amygdale, which are active at the time of learning, should be distinguished from connections from the side of the hippocampus where are the elements of the working memory system. Excitation of the object neuron from the side of the speech area is sustained by the cortico-hippocampal loops of the working memory system.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Diagram of the circuits responsible for perceptions and recalling of mental images. Diagram of hierarchical structure of neurons integrating sensory information. The long-term memory is consolidated under the influence of connections from the hypothalamus and amygdale (A). The cortico-hippocampal loops (B) are elements of the working memory system recalling mental images. The activation of the object neuron by the cortico-hippocampal loop induces recurrent reactivation of neurons in lower layers. The dotted line indicates the circuits of repetitive propagation of stimuli in the upper layers of the hierarchical structure, which is the essence of imaginary. The activation of an object neuron can also be evoked from the side of the speech area (C). The thalamo-cortical loop (D) reach the lower parts of the cortex. The oscillations in these circuits happens e.g., in periods of a deep sleep. The element “D” of the diagram emphasize that the brain’s actions are based on an intrinsically generated neuronal activity and that the sensory inputs are acting as modifiers of such intrinsic activity. The figure facilitates the understanding of why perceptions and imagery stimulate further oscillations in the upper layers of the hierarchical structure.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Symbolic presentation of a microtubule composed of tubulin dimers existing in three different states. Symbolic presentation of tubulin dimers, which due to the positions of delocalized electrons can be in two different states and additionally in a quantum superposition state. On the left a symbolic presentation of a microtubule composed of tubulin dimers existing in three different states.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Symbolic illustration of the essence of Roger Penrose and Stuart Harmeroff’s ‘Orch OR’ theory. The authors assume that in the microtubules of neurons repetitive, cyclic quantum information processing is realized, which consists in increasing the quantum coherence of the tubulin dimers, interrupted by the OR operation, causing the conscious moment. In larger synchronized sets of neurons, the termination of orchestration by OR moment occurs after approx. 300 to 500 ms.
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