How lateral inhibition and fast retinogeniculo-cortical oscillations create vision: A new hypothesis

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThe role of the physiological processes involved in human vision escapes clarification in current literature. Many unanswered questions about vision include: 1) whether there is more to lateral inhibition than previously proposed, 2) the role of the discs in rods and cones, 3) how inverted images on the retina are converted to erect images for visual perception, 4) what portion of the image formed on the retina is actually processed in the brain, 5) the reason we have an after-image with antagonistic colors, and 6) how we remember space. This theoretical article attempts to clarify some of the physiological processes involved with human vision. The global integration of visual information is conceptual; therefore, we include illustrations to present our theory. Universally, the eyeball is 2.4 cm and works together with membrane potential, correspondingly representing the retinal layers, photoreceptors, and cortex. Images formed within the photoreceptors must first be converted into chemical signals on the photoreceptors' individual discs and the signals at each disc are transduced from light photons into electrical signals. We contend that the discs code the electrical signals into accurate distances and are shown in our figures. The pre-existing oscillations among the various cortices including the striate and parietal cortex, and the retina work in unison to create an infrastructure of visual space that functionally ''places" the objects within this ''neural" space. The horizontal layers integrate all discs accurately to create a retina that is pre-coded for distance. Our theory suggests image inversion never takes place on the retina, but rather images fall onto the retina as compressed and coiled, then amplified through lateral inhibition through intensification and amplification on the OFF-center cones. The intensified and amplified images are decompressed and expanded in the brain, which become the images we perceive as external vision. Summary: This is a theoretical article presenting a novel hypothesis about the physiological processes in vision, and expounds upon the visual aspect of two of our previously published articles, ''A unified 3D default space consciousness model combining neurological and physiological processes that underlie conscious experience", and ''Functional representation of vision within the mind: A visual consciousness model based in 3D default space." Currently, neuroscience teaches that visual images are initially inverted on the retina, processed in the brain, and then conscious perception of vision happens in the visual cortex. Here, we propose that inversion of visual images never takes place because images enter the retina as coiled and compressed graded potentials that are intensified and amplified in OFF-center photoreceptors. Once they reach the brain, they are decompressed and expanded to the original size of the image, which is perceived by the brain as the external image. We adduce that pre-existing oscillations (alpha, beta, and gamma) among the various c...

The Dynamic Role of Breathing and Cellular Membrane Potentials in the Experience of Consciousness

“…All cells of the body are electrically charged and connected via gap junctions to form an intra-personal space that subconsciously proxies for the external space that we have termed the "3D default space" [6]. Physiology of vision has been studied extensively, and we have proposed a new theory that highlights the primary role of the retina and lateral inhibition [19]. The synchronous oscillatory activity among the thalamic reticular nucleus, the retina, and various locations in the cortex allows one to see a seamless image that subconsciously proxies for external images.…”

“…The synchronous oscillatory activity among the thalamic reticular nucleus, the retina, and various locations in the cortex allows one to see a seamless image that subconsciously proxies for external images. The thalamic reticular nucleus unifies the final focusing of the retinal images [19].…”

“…Corticomuscular coherence is highly regarded as the method to directly measure the relationship and connection between cortical and muscular activities, and electrophysiological signals are used to measure oscillatory activity within the brain [59]. Corticomuscular oscillations at ~10 Hz indicate brainmuscle communication, beta band oscillations (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30) are associated with controlling less than maximal muscle force, and low gamma band oscillations are associated with controlling the production of stronger muscle force [59].…”

Sensory Consciousness is Experienced through Amplification of Sensory Stimuli via Lateral Inhibition

“…The entire circuit initiated by the sensory receptors, afferent neurons, ascending sensory tracts in the spinal cord, thalamus, cortico-thalamic feed forward and feedback loops, and efferent neurons in the spinal cord are sent back to the sensory receptors and all of these networks are all involved with neurocircuitry of lateral inhibition [2]. The sensory receptors are actively in an "alert" state as indicated by baseline gamma activity on electroencephalogram recordings and are generated by the spinal-thalamo-cortical activity.…”

“…The purpose of this paper is to expand upon our previous model of unified consciousness [1] to explain how lateral inhibition allows consciousness to emerge. A schematic diagram of how lateral inhibition plays a part in the central and peripheral nervous systems has been previously published [2].…”