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The Physics of the Mind and Brain Disorders pp 193–212Cite as

Gauge Fields in the Central Nervous System

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Part of the book series: Springer Series in Cognitive and Neural Systems ((SSCNS,volume 11))

Abstract

Recent advances in neuroscience highlight the complexity of the central nervous system (CNS) and call for general, multidisciplinary theoretical approaches. The aim of this chapter is to assess highly organized biological systems, in particular the CNS, via the physical and mathematical procedures of gauge theory – and to provide quantitative methods for experimental assessment. We first describe the nature of a gauge theory in physics, in a language addressed to an interdisciplinary audience. Then we examine the possibility that brain activity is driven by one or more continuous forces, called gauge fields, originating inside or outside the CNS. In particular, we go through the idea of symmetries, which is the cornerstone of gauge theories, and illustrate examples of possible gauge fields in the CNS. A deeper knowledge of gauge theories may lead to novel approaches to (self) organized biological systems, improve our understanding of brain activity and disease, and pave the way to innovative therapeutic interventions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Nonlinear Science, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle, #311427, Denton, TX, 76203-5017, USA

    Arturo Tozzi

  2. Computational Intelligence Laboratory, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, R3T 5V6, Manitoba, Canada

    Arturo Tozzi

  3. Department of Engineering (Information Engineering), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Biswa Sengupta

  4. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Manitoba, 75A Chancellor’s Circle, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 5V6, Canada

    James F. Peters

  5. Mathematics Department, Adıyaman University 02040, Adıyaman, Turkey

    James F. Peters

  6. Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK

    Karl J. Friston

Authors
  1. Arturo Tozzi
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  2. Biswa Sengupta
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  3. James F. Peters
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  4. Karl J. Friston
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Arturo Tozzi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Ioan Opris

  2. Greenville Health System, University of South Carolina, School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC, USA

    Manuel F. Casanova

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Tozzi, A., Sengupta, B., Peters, J.F., Friston, K.J. (2017). Gauge Fields in the Central Nervous System. In: Opris, I., Casanova, M.F. (eds) The Physics of the Mind and Brain Disorders. Springer Series in Cognitive and Neural Systems, vol 11. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29674-6_9

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