A linear theory for global electrocortical activity and its control by the lateral hypothalamus.
A linear model for electrocortical waves and their control by the lateral hypothalamus is proposed. It is argued that such a linear model is not in contradiction to non-linearity of neural elements on the microscopic scale. Telencephalic structures are treated as a mass of linked oscillators generating activity with a number of resonant modes. The lateral hypothalamus is regarded as controlling damping of activity in the telencephalic mass, and therefore exerting a specific parametric control over all signal processing in the cortical networks. An initial test is proposed to assess the constancy of telencephalic natural frequencies, with variation in lateral hypothalamic damping.
D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004569:Electroencephalography; D007026:Hypothalamic Area, Lateral / Q000502:physiology*; D008433:Mathematics; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology