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Slow Potential Changes in the Human Brain pp 235–251Cite as

Slow Cortical Potentials Reflect the Regulation of Cortical Excitability

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Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSA,volume 254))

Summary

A model is described which postulates ways in which regulatory circuits within the brain might generate electrical activity underlying spontaneous EEG fluctuations and event-related slow potentials (ERP) of the brain. We suggest that slow potentials represent a measure of the excitability of cortical neuronal networks and that this excitability must be regulated within distinct limits. The regulation has reflexive characteristics but must contain anticipatory elements as well.

Five main postulates are basic to the model:

  1. (1)

    The electrical sources of event-related slow potentials and other large amplitude EEG activity reside in the dendritic trees of cortical pyramidal neurons.

  2. (2)

    Surface negative potentials represent a measure for the excitability in the underlying neural tissue, surface positivity signifies widespread absence of facilitation.

  3. (3)

    Slow potentials indicate availability and spatial allocation of resources for information processing performed by the underlying neural tissue. Direction of attention and memory search will generate negative potentials in those neural assemblies which process the respective concepts. Memory storage and updating of information require that large proportions of the neural network be shut off and therefore they are accompanied by widespread positive waves of high amplitude. The electrical source of these waves can be traced to neural populations not involved in the storage process.

  4. (4)

    Conscious processes arise above a certain amount of cortical excitability; they appear when threshold levels of negative DC shifts are exceeded.

  5. (5)

    The regulation of cortical excitability and thus of slow potentials is achieved in part via a feedback loop which runs through the basal ganglia, other subcortical structures and the thalamus, returning to the cortex. This feedback loop generates permanent fluctuations resulting in EEG waves. The loop has necessarily non-linear characteristics and therefore the EEG may best be analysed with methods from non-linear systems theory.

This paper describes evidence for these postulates and suggests ways of further testing the model.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Experimental Audiology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

    Thomas Elbert

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  1. Thomas Elbert
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  1. Late of Burden Neurological Institute, Bristol, UK

    W. C. McCallum

  2. Burden Neurological Institute, Bristol, UK

    S. H. Curry

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Elbert, T. (1993). Slow Cortical Potentials Reflect the Regulation of Cortical Excitability. In: McCallum, W.C., Curry, S.H. (eds) Slow Potential Changes in the Human Brain. NATO ASI Series, vol 254. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1597-9_15

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