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neocortex
Also known as: human neocortex
Facts (48)
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The evolution of human-type consciousness – a by-product of ... frontiersin.org 39 facts
claimThe interface hypothesis suggests that consciousness arose as a byproduct or side effect of a serially functioning interface required to crop alternative patterns from the chaotic neocortex and mediate them to the constrained, goal-oriented, linear control system.
claimThe interface hypothesis of consciousness asserts that consciousness is connected to the chaotic activity of the neocortex because it is linked to the interface that transforms and introduces the outcomes of that activity into the control system.
perspectiveThe author hypothesizes that innovation is the survival benefit that promoted the evolution of the neocortex, specifically the default mode network and its chaotic activity.
claimThe interface hypothesis of consciousness posits that the serial functioning of the interface evolved to crop and sort the chaotic outputs of the neocortex and communicate them to the control system, allowing novel solutions to be implemented in a stable and controlled way.
perspectiveThe noisy activity of the default mode network is hypothesized to be a 'feature' (the primary reason for neocortex evolution) rather than a 'bug' (an excess or side effect), given its role in creative problem-solving.
measurementThe neocortex and cerebellum together occupy approximately 90% of total brain volume and contain about 80% of the brain’s neurons, according to Herculano-Houzel (2010).
claimWhen the neocortex first appeared, it was smaller and less sophisticated than brain structures that had existed for hundreds of millions of years prior, according to Kaas (2011).
referenceThe neocortex plays a primary role in simulating past, future, and imagined situations, which contributes to inventing new variations on action patterns or responses to novel challenges (Buckner and Carroll, 2007).
referenceThere is a circumstantial relationship between increased activity in the neocortex and the emergence of creative solutions.
referenceJon H. Kaas published 'Neocortex in early mammals and its subsequent variations' in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences in 2011, which examines the evolution of the neocortex.
claimMany mammals possess similar innovation systems with similar interfaces because they share neural structures such as the neocortex, the claustrum (excluding monotremes), and the default mode network.
claimAccording to the interface hypothesis, the neocortex emerged as part of an advanced innovation mechanism that uses unpredictable, chaotic activity to generate alternative patterns.
perspectiveThe author of the article 'The evolution of human-type consciousness' posits that the serial mode of action characteristic of consciousness evolved as a solution to the problem of integrating the chaotic output of the neocortex into the constrained subcortical control system.
claimThe neocortex is a brain structure unique to mammals and is considered a relatively recent evolutionary phenomenon.
claimThe further evolution of some older brain structures, such as the tectum, has slowed or receded, likely because the neocortex assumed some of their functions, as noted by Striedter (2005).
claimThe cerebellum continued to grow in size and sophistication alongside the neocortex, and it retained most of its functions, according to Barton and Venditti (2014).
claimThe neocortex anatomy is suited for producing random variations necessary for innovation due to its complexity and non-deterministic neuronal activity.
measurementThe neocortex occupies roughly four-fifths of the brain’s volume but contains only about one-fifth of its neurons, while the cerebellum occupies about one-eighth of the brain’s volume and contains two-thirds of its neurons, according to Herculano-Houzel (2010).
claimThe chaotic activity of the neocortex and most parts of the control system remain inaccessible to consciousness, meaning human perception and reporting are limited to an intermediate stage of a larger process.
claimThe evolutionary expansion of the neocortex occurred in addition to, rather than at the expense of, older control systems in the brain.
claimThe cerebellum yields serial-parallel operation, and the neocortex operates in a reentry mode that yields chaotic results.
claimThe claustrum is the brain structure most connected to the rest of the brain relative to its volume, with links to most parts of the neocortex, including the default network.
claimThe interface hypothesis of consciousness proposes that human consciousness emerged as a byproduct of an advanced mammalian innovation-generating mechanism based on the unpredictable, chaotic, and exploratory functioning of the neocortex.
referenceThe neocortex functions as a variations generator, perfected in mammals over hundreds of millions of years to provide alternative solutions to challenges lacking ready-made answers (Szilágyi et al., 2017).
claimThe claustra are thin, sheet-like structures located in each brain hemisphere that partition the inner neocortex, the insula, and the basal ganglia.
claimThe neocortex functions as a variation generator that operates in a highly energetic and chaotic manner.
claimThe interface hypothesis of consciousness posits that while consciousness is related to and influenced by neocortical processes, it is not a direct result of them.
claimThe author proposes that the evolution of the neocortex and its chaotic activity was driven by the need to enhance innovation without disrupting the linear-parallel dynamics of the subcortical control system.
referenceThe neocortex's dynamics are characterized by chaos, manifesting as self-organization, nonlinearity, sensitive dependence on initial conditions, criticality, stochastic fluctuations (Singer, 2015; Tozzi et al., 2016), spontaneous activity, and reentry dynamics (Edelman and Gally, 2013).
referenceFrancis Crick and Christof Koch (2005) were the first to associate the claustrum with consciousness and proposed that the neocortex is represented within the claustrum in a partial and "diluted" manner.
perspectiveThe separation between the neocortex and the subcortical control system allows the neocortex's chaotic activity to occur without disrupting the subcortical control system's vital functions.
perspectiveThe author proposes a model where subcortical brain structures, specifically the basal ganglia and the cerebellum, control the 'production line' of ongoing environmental interactions, while the neocortex serves the need for innovation, citing Dietrich (2004).
claimOlder brain structures, such as the cerebellum, performed basic cognitive functions like motor control, sensory perception, basic emotions, and decision-making before the neocortex appeared.
claimThe neocortex's vital role in controlling movement and vision is a relatively recent evolutionary phenomenon.
perspectiveThe neocortex acts as a biological equivalent of an R&D department, while the subcortical control system acts as the production line.
claimConsciousness is generally agreed to be associated with the chaotic activity of the neocortex, despite consciousness being a linear and serial phenomenon by nature.
claimThe neocortex is characterized by less organization and greater degrees of freedom compared to the highly organized and directionally strict anatomy of the cerebellum.
perspectiveThe chaotic, noise-like mode of action in the neocortex may provide an evolutionary advantage by generating new, alternative modes of action rather than serving goal-oriented control.
claimThe interface hypothesis of consciousness posits that the appearance of consciousness is inseparable from the chaotic activity of the neocortex.
A Synergistic Workspace for Human Consciousness Revealed by ... elifesciences.org 4 facts
referenceThe paper 'Gradients of structure– function tethering across neocortex' was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (116:21219–21227).
referenceThe paper 'Mapping gene transcription and neurocognition across human neocortex' was published in Nature Human Behaviour (5:1240–1250).
claimThe posterior regions of the default mode network (DMN) act as relays between the neocortex and the hippocampal memory system.
referenceThe paper 'Mapping neurotransmitter systems to the structural and functional organization of the human neocortex' was published in Nature Neuroscience (25:1569–1581).
The development of consciousness from an evolutionary perspective academia.edu 1 fact
quoteThe interface between the experiencer and the experienced consists of the group of dendritic arbor synapses active during an event of mental consciousness, ranging in complexity from the neuropil in the cerebral ganglia of a primitive sea star to the pyramidal neuron/interneuron framework of a human neocortex; dendritic arbors also function as repositories of memories encoded in the configuration of synaptic spines.
Complexity and the Evolution of Consciousness | Biological Theory link.springer.com Sep 14, 2022 1 fact
quoteVeit and Huebner (2020) argued that the future of animal sentience research lies not in drawing boundaries but in empirically investigating what it feels like to be an echo-locating bat, an infrared-sensing snake, an octopus with multiple distributed ganglia, a fish without a neocortex, or an arthropod such as a spider or a honey bee.
Psychedelics and Consciousness: Distinctions, Demarcations, and ... ouci.dntb.gov.ua 1 fact
claimThe researchers hypothesized that the bacterial meningoencephalitis affecting the subject's neocortex may have triggered downstream neural activity similar to that initiated by psychedelic agents through pyramidal neuronal activation.
The Montreal model: an integrative biomedical-psychedelic ... frontiersin.org 1 fact
referenceCichon et al. reported that ketamine triggers a switch in excitatory neuronal activity across the neocortex, published in Nature Neuroscience in 2022.
The function(s) of consciousness: an evolutionary perspective frontiersin.org Nov 25, 2024 1 fact
claimIf consciousness evolved in parallel with the neocortex or its equivalent, it is assumed to be present in mammals, birds, and many reptiles.