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Macroscopic electrical activity as a conceptual framework in cognitive neuroscience

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Summary

This report has the aim to indicate relevant implications of the systems theory approach to the experiments in conscious brain. The reports related to comparative neurophysiology and to the understanding of brain as a ‘whole’ are rare, an outstanding comparative approach report in biological sciences was that of Darwin, who performed a voyage in order to compare structures of species and the principle of natural selectivity.

In despite of the fruitful approach of Darwin, most of the brain scientists do prefer to analyze either one type of brain or even only one structure to interpret the brain function. The single neuron doctrine developed by Sherrington also did not consider these various aspects. The avenue opened by Hans Berger which introduced the analysis of the brain oscillations was an important step towards understanding of the ‘whole brain’.

In this report we aim to describe narratively, technical, strategical and philosophical steps to bridge “Sherrington Neuron Doctrine” with the “Neurons-Brain Theory” of the whole brain by means of the method developed by Hans Berger.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brain Dynamics Multidisciplinary Research Network of TUBITAK, Ankara, Turkey

    Murat Özgören & Erol Başar

  2. Faculty of Medicine Department of Biophysics, Dokuz Eylül University, 35340, Izmir, Turkey

    Murat Özgören & Erol Başar

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  1. Murat Özgören
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  2. Erol Başar
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Correspondence to Erol Başar.

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Özgören, M., Başar, E. Macroscopic electrical activity as a conceptual framework in cognitive neuroscience. Theory Biosci. 121, 351–369 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12064-003-0042-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12064-003-0042-y

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