Friedemann Pulvermueller (1994) Simple Models First
. Psycoloquy: 5(66) Brain Rhythms (7)
Versions: ASCII formatted
Psycoloquy 5(66): Simple Models First
SIMPLE MODELS FIRST
Reply to Goertzel on Brain-Rhythms
Friedemann Pulvermueller
Hubert Preissl
Werner Lutzenberger
Thomas Elbert
Institut fuer Medizinische Psychologie und
Verhaltensneurobiologie, Universitaet Tuebingen,
Gartenstrasse 29, 72074 Tuebingen, Germany
pumue@language01.medpsych.theoretische-medizin.uni-tuebingen.de
Abstract
Goertzel (1994a) emphasizes that the activation of a cell
assembly does not necessarily imply periodic neural activity. He
advocates more complex models in which one cell assembly may
represent different cognitive entities depending on its mode of
activation. We fully agree that more complex theories must be
developed that avoid various simplifying assumptions implicit in
our model. However, we consider it a good research strategy to
start with simple models and to proceed to more complex ones when
limitations of the simple models become evident.
Keywords
brain theory, cell assembly, cognition, event related
potentials (ERP), electroencephalograph (EEG), gamma band, Hebb,
language, lexical processing, magnetoencephalography (MEG),
psychophysiology, periodicity, power spectral analysis, synchrony
References
- Elbert, T., Ray, W.J., Kowalik, Z.J., Skinner, J.E., Graf, K.E. & Birbaumer, N. (1994) Chaos and physiology: deterministic chaos in excitable cell assemblies. Physiol. Rev. 74:1-47.
- Goertzel, B. (1994a) Periodic Brain Responses and Beyond. Commentary on Pulvermueller et al. on Brain-Rhythms. PSYCOLOQUY 5(51) brain-rhythms.3.goertzel.
- Goertzel, B. (1994b) Chaotic logic: language, thought and reality from the perspective of complex systems science. New York: Plenum.
- Lutzenberger, W., Preissl, H. & Pulvermueller, F. (1994) Fractal dimension of EEG time series and underying brain processes. submitted.
- Muehlnickel, W., Rendtorff, N., Kowalik, Z.J., Rockstroh, B., Miltner, W. & Elbert, T. (1994) Testing the Determinism of EEG and MEG. Integrative Physiological and Behavioral Science (in press).
- Pulvermueller, F., Preissl, H., Eulitz, C., Pantev, C., Lutzenberger, W., Elbert, T. & Birbaumer, N. (1994) Brain Rhythms, Cell Assemblies and Cognition: Evidence from the Processing of Words and Pseudowords. PSYCOLOQUY 5(48) brain-rhythms.1.pulvermueller.
- Skarda, C.A. & Freeman, W.J. (1987) How brains make chaos in order to make sense of the world. Behav. Brain Sci. 10:161-195.