The thermodynamic brain and the evolution of intellect: the role of mental energy

Deli, Eva; Kisvárday, Zoltán F.

doi:10.1007/s11571-020-09637-y

Cited by 18 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 147 publications

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“…Because the principle of least action guides objects' movement when moving in space, experience appears to give rise to predictive processing. Intelligent systems optimize their action repertoire between the past and the future [13] , [37] . Cognition represents the stationary temporal trajectory on the synaptic complexity map, representing a potential, the so-called “mental energy” [29] , [32] , [40] , Schwartz et al, 2005 [185] ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sensory perception translates spatial relationships into temporal rhythms, an orthogonal organization, by the hippocampus's place cells [169] . The holographic projection integrates temporally distant identities in perception and decision-making to form and orient the self [34] , [35] , [37] . Scale-free activations provide a “temporal integration” with the faster frequencies nested within the more powerful slower ones.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The quasi-hierarchical nature of the brain allows us to generalize his conclusions for the energy-information exchange of stimulus. Extending the thermodynamic considerations onto the whole brain delineates the crucial role of energy in cognition [36] , [37] , [147] .…”

Section: Thermodynamic Considerations Of Brain Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Physical principles have been increasingly used in the study of cognition [54] , [75] , [137] , [142] , [150] , [158] . Recent efforts in consciousness science have studied the thermodynamic consequences of signal processing for single neurons [51] , [158] and the whole neural system [36] , [37] 147] . In line with the above efforts, the estimated energetic cost of emotions on the brain's energy cycle awaits resolution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The thermodynamics of cognition: A mathematical treatment

Deli¹,

Peters

Kisvárday

2021

Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal

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Graphical abstract The thermodynamics consequences of intelligent computation. The neural system uses substantial resources to maintain the resting state; therefore, the Carnot cycle can model the evoked cycle. The synaptic complexity during neural computation changes in parallel with the ability to respond to future challenges. Positive emotions (top) trigger the reversed Carnot cycle, which accumulates energy and entropy (the entropy at the end of the cycle is A′ where S (A′) > S (A)). Negative emotions initiate an exothermic Carnot cycle, which accumulates information and wastes energy (entropy at the end of the cycle is A′ and S (A′) < S (A)).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Thermodynamic Considerations Of Brain Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The thermodynamics of cognition: A mathematical treatment

Deli¹,

Peters

Kisvárday

2021

Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal

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“…Investigators (e.g., Déli and Kisvárday, 2020 ; Deli, 2021 ; Deli et al, 2021 ) have recently employed thermodynamic cycles to study dynamics of higher brain functions intensively. One behavioral paradigm for moment-to-moment human mental processes is exemplified by a four-sentence sequence – “I see a tiger… I think I am in danger… I feel afraid… I run.” These represent the mental stages: perception, cognition, emotion, behavior.…”

Section: Mental Kant Cycle ⇔ Thermodynamic Otto Cyclementioning

confidence: 99%

The Mental Maxwell Relations: A Thermodynamic Allegory for Higher Brain Functions

O’Neill¹,

Schoth

2022

Front. Neurosci.

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The theoretical framework of classical thermodynamics unifies vastly diverse natural phenomena and captures once-elusive effects in concrete terms. Neuroscience confronts equally varied, equally ineffable phenomena in the mental realm, but has yet to unite or to apprehend them rigorously, perhaps due to an insufficient theoretical framework. The terms for mental phenomena, the mental variables, typically used in neuroscience are overly numerous and imprecise. Unlike in thermodynamics or other branches of physics, in neuroscience, there are no core mental variables from which all others formally derive and it is unclear which variables are distinct and which overlap. This may be due to the nature of mental variables themselves. Unlike the variables of physics, perhaps they cannot be interpreted as composites of a small number of axioms. However, it is well worth exploring if they can, as that would allow more parsimonious theories of higher brain function. Here we offer a theoretical exercise in the spirit of the National Institutes of Health Research Domain Criteria (NIH RDoC) Initiative and the Cognitive Atlas Project, which aim to remedy this state of affairs. Imitating classical thermodynamics, we construct a formal framework for mental variables, an extended analogy – an allegory – between mental and thermodynamic quantities. Starting with mental correlates of the physical indefinables length, time, mass or force, and charge, we pursue the allegory up to mental versions of the thermodynamic Maxwell Relations. The Maxwell Relations interrelate the thermodynamic quantities volume, pressure, temperature, and entropy and were chosen since they are easy to derive, yet capable of generating nontrivial, nonobvious predictions. Our “Mental Maxwell Relations” interlink the mental variables consciousness, salience, arousal, and distraction and make nontrivial, nonobvious statements about mental phenomena. The mental system thus constructed is internally consistent, in harmony with introspection, and respects the RDoC criteria of employing only psychologically valid constructs with some evidence of a brain basis. We briefly apply these concepts to the problem of decision-making and sketch how some of them might be tested empirically.

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Brain works principle followed by neural information processing: a review of novel brain theory

Wang

et al. 2023

Artif Intell Rev

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The way the brain work and its principle of work has long been a big scientific question that scientists have dreamed of solving. However, as is known to all, the brain works at different levels, and the operation at different levels is interactional and mutually coupled. Unfortunately, until now, we still do not know how the nervous system at different levels is interacting and coupling with each other. This review provides some preliminary discussions on how to address these scientific questions, for which we propose a novel theory of the brain called neural energy. Such a theoretical and research approach can couple neural information with neural energy to address the interactions of the nervous system at various levels. Therefore, this review systematically summarizes the neural energy theories and methods proposed by our research in the field of brain science, as well as the internal relationship between mechanics and neural energy theory. Focuses on how to construct a Wang–Zhang (W–Z) neuron model equivalent to Hodgkin–Huxley (H–H) model by using the idea of analytical dynamics. Then, based on this model, we proposed a large-scale neural model and a theoretical framework of global neural coding of the brain in the field of neuroscience. It includes information processing of multiple sensory and perceptual nervous systems such as visual perception, neural mechanism of coupling between default mode network and functional network of brain, memory switching and brain state switching, brain navigation, prediction of new working mechanism of neurons, and interpretation of experimental phenomena that are difficult to be explained by neuroscience. It is proved that the new W–Z neuron model and neural energy theory have unique functions and advantages in neural modeling, neural information processing and methodology. The idea of large-scale neuroscience research with neural energy as the core will provide a potentially powerful research method for promoting the fusion of experimental neuroscience and theoretical neuroscience in the future, and propose a widely accepted brain theory system between experimental neuroscience and theoretical neuroscience. It is of great scientific significance to abandon the shortcomings of reductive and holism research methods in the field of neuroscience, and effectively integrate their respective advantages in methodology.

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The thermodynamic brain and the evolution of intellect: the role of mental energy

Cited by 18 publications

References 147 publications

The thermodynamics of cognition: A mathematical treatment

The thermodynamics of cognition: A mathematical treatment

The Mental Maxwell Relations: A Thermodynamic Allegory for Higher Brain Functions

Brain works principle followed by neural information processing: a review of novel brain theory

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