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NEUROENERGETIC CONCEPT OF INTELLIGENCE

2 Spike in neuron is necessary for neuron itself

The stability of dead matter is determined by the strength of internal bonds, while the stability of a live matter is provided by repair activities. Any live unit permanently repairs itself, expending matter and energy. If there are insufficient matter and energy to execute the repair, the unit will die. Such a model of oscillating live unit was considered in [2]. Following this model the spike in a neuron is understood as an intensive repair state.

The neuron has two main properties: (1) growing old and (2) an ability to renew itself by means of spikes. The neuron is characterized by its conventional age q, which grows in the rest state and decreases at spikes. Age q defines feed that is required by the neuron per unit of time (energy consumption g). Also age q defines the neuron's excitability threshold P0, which is equal to external excitation, sufficient for the transition of the neuron into the spike state. The main shape of dependencies g(q) and P0(q) is shown in fig.1.

image1.gif (3150 bytes)

One can see in fig.1, that there is a certain critical age qc, above which both g and excitability of the neuron begin to increase rapidly. The neuron has a certain internal energy reserve H, and its exhausting involves the death of the neuron. The magnitude of H and the rate of its variation defines, how does the neuron feel, that is the neuron's "self-feeling", which influences on the excitability of a certain neuronal set by means of "field-like" interaction.

The neuron can stay in one of the two states: rest and transitory state of spike. During the spike the energy consumption significantly increases, but due to the decrease of q the total energetic effect of spikes may be positive: at a prolonged time interval an integral energy consumption will be decreased. External energetic feed for the neuron is limited, and therefore neurons are forced to solve the consumption minimization problem. The method of resolving this problem is the generation of spikes, that can be expressed by the following thesis: "Spike in a neuron is necessary for the neuron itself, not for the brain". The mean of solution of this problem is the functioning of interneuron links, creating conditions for the mutual stimulation of spikes.

 

 

 




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