Bridge locus

In neuroscience the bridge locus for a particular sensory percept is a hypothetical set of neurons whose activity is the basis of that sensory percept. The term was introduced by D.N. Teller and E.Y. Pugh Jr. in 1983, and has been sparingly used.[1] Activity in the bridge locus neurons is postulated to be necessary and sufficient for sensory perception: if the bridge locus neurons are not active, then the sensory perception does not occur, regardless of the actual sensory input. Conversely if the bridge locus neurons are active, then sensory perception occurs, regardless of the actual sensory input. It is the highest neural level of a sensory perception. So, for example, retinal neurons are not considered a bridge locus for visual perception because stimulating visual cortex can give rise to visual percepts.[2]

Not all scholars believe in such a neural correlate of consciousness.[3] Pessoa et al., for example, argue that there is no necessity for a bridge locus, basing their argument on the requirement of an isomorphism between neural states and conscious states.[4][clarification needed] Thompson argues that there are good reasons to think that the notion of a bridge locus, which he calls a "localizationist approach", is misguided, questioning the premise that there has to be one particular neural stage whose activity forms the immediate substrate of perception. He argues, based upon work by Zeki & Shipp, DeYoe & Van Essen, and others, that brain regions are not independent stages or modules but have dense forward and backward projections that act reciprocally, and that visual processing is highly interactive and context-dependent. He also argues that cells in the visual cortex "are not mere 'feature detectors'", and that neuroscience has revealed that the brain in fact employs distributed networks, rather than centralized representations. He equates the notion of a bridge locus to a Cartesian theatre and suggests that as a notion it should be abandoned.[5]

References

  1. ^ D.N. Teller; E.Y. Pugh Jr. (1983). J.D. Mollon; L.T. Sharpe (eds.). Colour Vision. Academic Press. p. 581. ISBN 978-0-12-504280-2.
  2. ^ Davida Y Teller "Linking propositions" Vision Research (1984)
  3. ^ Christof Koch (2004). The Quest for Consciousness. Roberts and Company Publishers. p. 88. ISBN 9780974707709.
  4. ^ David J. Chalmers (2000). "What is a Neural Correlate of Consciousness". In Thomas Metzinger (ed.). Neural Correlates of Consciousness. MIT Press. p. 37. ISBN 9780262133708.
  5. ^ Evan Thompson (1999). "Filling-in: Visual Science and the Philosophy of Perception". In Denis Fisette (ed.). Consciousness and Intentionality. Springer. p. 156. ISBN 9780792359074.

Further reading

  • Evan Thomson; Alva Noë & Luiz Pessoa (1999). "Perceptual Completion: A Case Study in Phenomenology and Cognitive Science". In Jean Petitot; Francisco Varela; Bernard Pachoud & Jean-Michel Roy (eds.). Naturalizing Phenomenology. Stanford University Press. ISBN 9780804736107.
  • Ronald G. Boothe (2002). Perception of the Visual Environment. Springer. pp. 9–10. ISBN 9780387987903.


Stub icon

This neuroscience article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.