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V. Perlitz
many small neurons surrounding each relay neuron. Thence, the finite duration of
synaptic delay adds up to several hundred μs up to as many as several ms. Consequently, circulating excitatory currents can easily survive the rapidly inhibited activity
in the concomitant relay neuron. This will then justify a holistic interpretation of selfterminating “discharge trains” well known from the EEG (especially in the “spindle”
shaped alpha waves found in the occipital cortex). The intermediary rhythm is not
only found in human, but also in the canine experiments performed by Lambertz
et al. [4, 18] is readily explainable by straightforward consideration of initial phase
synchronization and subsequent phase desynchronization in neuronal pools (in this
case of the common brain stem). One can therefore insinuate that all rhythmically
modulated discharge patterns exhibiting emerging and submerging trains of action
potentials can be explained by the unavoidable interference between phase synchronization and phase desynchronization. However, this assumption includes the additional concept that the temporal beat phenomena must be accompanied by rhythmically modulated spatial expansion and retraction of excited sub-pools within a
given neuronal ensemble as it has been assumed for the explanation of the so-1called
synaptic “occlusion”.
When viewed from system theoretical aspects, the described behavioural traits of
agito-inhibited neuronal pools are in keeping with a concept concerning “information” presented many decades ago by Ernst and Christine von Weizsäcker.
These authors claimed that as a system is being sequentially informed, there is
a rapid (e.g. linear) increase in “corroboration”, which, however, is automatically
accompanied by an equally rapid (also linear) fall in novelty value. This concept can
be operationalized not only for linear increments but for non-linear and/or exponential
increments as well. Furthermore, it can be “biologised” by assuming the re-iteration
of an efficient stimulus input to depend on an excitation threshold. It can then be
stated that initially, the “novelty value” is associated with spread of excitation (by
divergence), whereas corroboration is associated with automatic increment in the
inhibitory activity just referred to.
As the intermediary rhythm was originally discovered under the conditions of
naïve psychomotor relaxation, its manifestation with typical beat phenomena was
taken as a “tool” to differentiate “excited” from “unexcited”, and the former condition
was considered to allow reproducible PPG and Laser-Doppler measurements in clinical routine. The newer insight into the “stability” of ca O.15 Hz-Band activity during
triggered auto-suggestive relaxation including closure of the eyes makes it necessary
to re-evaluate the situation in terms of “non-linear dynamics”: the beat phenomenon
found originally can now be taken to represent a “threshold phenomenon” (v.i.),
where its “stable” manifestation is indicative of “synergetic self-organization” far
from thermodynamic equilibrium [17, 21, 33–35].
V. Perlitz
many small neurons surrounding each relay neuron. Thence, the finite duration of
synaptic delay adds up to several hundred μs up to as many as several ms. Consequently, circulating excitatory currents can easily survive the rapidly inhibited activity
in the concomitant relay neuron. This will then justify a holistic interpretation of selfterminating “discharge trains” well known from the EEG (especially in the “spindle”
shaped alpha waves found in the occipital cortex). The intermediary rhythm is not
only found in human, but also in the canine experiments performed by Lambertz
et al. [4, 18] is readily explainable by straightforward consideration of initial phase
synchronization and subsequent phase desynchronization in neuronal pools (in this
case of the common brain stem). One can therefore insinuate that all rhythmically
modulated discharge patterns exhibiting emerging and submerging trains of action
potentials can be explained by the unavoidable interference between phase synchronization and phase desynchronization. However, this assumption includes the additional concept that the temporal beat phenomena must be accompanied by rhythmically modulated spatial expansion and retraction of excited sub-pools within a
given neuronal ensemble as it has been assumed for the explanation of the so-1called
synaptic “occlusion”.
When viewed from system theoretical aspects, the described behavioural traits of
agito-inhibited neuronal pools are in keeping with a concept concerning “information” presented many decades ago by Ernst and Christine von Weizsäcker.
These authors claimed that as a system is being sequentially informed, there is
a rapid (e.g. linear) increase in “corroboration”, which, however, is automatically
accompanied by an equally rapid (also linear) fall in novelty value. This concept can
be operationalized not only for linear increments but for non-linear and/or exponential
increments as well. Furthermore, it can be “biologised” by assuming the re-iteration
of an efficient stimulus input to depend on an excitation threshold. It can then be
stated that initially, the “novelty value” is associated with spread of excitation (by
divergence), whereas corroboration is associated with automatic increment in the
inhibitory activity just referred to.
As the intermediary rhythm was originally discovered under the conditions of
naïve psychomotor relaxation, its manifestation with typical beat phenomena was
taken as a “tool” to differentiate “excited” from “unexcited”, and the former condition
was considered to allow reproducible PPG and Laser-Doppler measurements in clinical routine. The newer insight into the “stability” of ca O.15 Hz-Band activity during
triggered auto-suggestive relaxation including closure of the eyes makes it necessary
to re-evaluate the situation in terms of “non-linear dynamics”: the beat phenomenon
found originally can now be taken to represent a “threshold phenomenon” (v.i.),
where its “stable” manifestation is indicative of “synergetic self-organization” far
from thermodynamic equilibrium [17, 21, 33–35].