Susan Greenfield - Neuronal Assemblies

By Wayne Brown
These slides are taken from Susan Greenfield's presentation concerning visualization of dynamic processes in the brain and her sweeping new theory of consciousness. 

Greenfield tests her model against 5 different ways we think of consciousness,
particularly our sense that there are "degrees" of being conscous


Greenfield points out that Electrophysiology models the brain at tiny resolution and microsecond time intervals versus the commonly seen fMRI scans with poor resolution and long time scales. There is a huge gap between what these two models can say about what is happening in the brain.

Greenfield's method bridges this gap using voltage-sensitive die imaging, 


This method shows a mid-range number of cells ( a few million) at short time interval (18 ms in the above slide).

This gives a mental model of consciousness that she compares to a stone being thrown in a puddle. In this talk, she extends that model in quite a bit of detail. From 1:34:17 onward, she presents striking movies of brain activity using this technology. This is perhaps a fundamental presentation in brain science, so it's a good idea to actually watch it rather than let me summarize it.

There are a few lessons I draw from her model:

  • She factors in development of the brain and mind;
  • She treats perception and thought (internal, private stimulation) as equivalent;
  • She is regrettably in awe of relativity when she talks about space and time. There is no reason for this, since relativity makes no real difference for the phenomena she is discussing;
  • She makes a nice distinction between mind and consciousness;
  • Her model accounts for how modulators that predispose cells to generate a pulse and the "feeling" of consciousness;
  • The model accounts for why neurons "recruit" nearby cells - not just because of local "wiring";
  • Her model is rich in predictions about how experiments with consciousness should turn out - it is "testable" and she's quite unique in valuing this particular aspect of her theory;


Greenfield model incorporates the effect of neurotransmitters on consciousness
The presentation includes a little "movie" of the brain in action that may stick with you as a totally different image of what is going on in your head. Remember, these "blobs" represent millions of neurons close to each other:



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