Towards a Neuronal Gauge Theory
Citations Over TimeTop 1% of 2016 papers
Abstract
Given the amount of knowledge and data accruing in the neurosciences, is it time to formulate a general principle for neuronal dynamics that holds at evolutionary, developmental, and perceptual timescales? In this paper, we propose that the brain (and other self-organised biological systems) can be characterised via the mathematical apparatus of a gauge theory. The picture that emerges from this approach suggests that any biological system (from a neuron to an organism) can be cast as resolving uncertainty about its external milieu, either by changing its internal states or its relationship to the environment. Using formal arguments, we show that a gauge theory for neuronal dynamics--based on approximate Bayesian inference--has the potential to shed new light on phenomena that have thus far eluded a formal description, such as attention and the link between action and perception.
Related Papers
- → Synchronous oscillatory activity in sensory systems: new vistas on mechanisms(1997)205 cited
- → GABAergic and glycinergic interneuron expression during spinal cord development: Dynamic interplay between inhibition and excitation in the control of ventral network outputs(2009)48 cited
- → Optogenetic stimulation: Understanding memory and treating deficits(2018)24 cited
- → Organizational and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Chemical Inhibition of A Vertebrate Neuron(1983)6 cited
- → The Roll-setting Method of Automatic Control of Gauge in Hot and Cold Rolling Mills(1955)2 cited