CEREBRART - START

The Brain is going to start ...

CEREBRART - Chaotic Brain

As nervous systems of the most ancestral animals evolved, and nerve cells began to cluster together in truly primitive brains, there was only rather limited chaos there. Over time, however, primitive brains grew increasingly complex. In higher animals, it is clear that ending up with trillions of nervous cells, cerebral chaos greatly expands.

Formally chaos is a nonlinear deterministic process that looks random. Some self-generated chaos is the gateway to creativity.  CEREBRART = ART of GENERATING and LIMITING chaos in the Brain. Contemporary technological breakthroughs offer a unique opportunity to better understand how the human brain generates and limits chaos. This CEREBRART work “Chaotic Brain” illustrates artistically the  subject of limited chaos, a topic which has not attracted much attention among either brain scientists (let alone artists).

CEREBRART - Planet Brain

Vladimir Vernadsky’s concept of nöosphere or the “sphere of wisdom” (НООСФЕРА - ЦАРСТВО РАЗУМА) is grounded in his research into the physical sciences and stages in the development of the planet: “. . . the whole of mankind put together represents an insignificant mass of the planet’s matter. Its strength is derived not from its matter, but from its brain. If man understands this, and does not use his brain and his work for self-destruction, an immense future is open before him in the geological history of the biosphere” (Vernadsky, 1945).

This CEREBRART work “Planet Brain” illustrates that idea as well as H.G. Wells's concept of "World Brain" artistically.

CEREBRART - INTEGRATION

Idea of this CEREBRART work was born suddenly at Third Biennial Conference on Resting State Brain Connectivity (during a vegetarian lunch) when I was absorbed in an interesting conversation with Professor Wei Chen from the University of Minnesota. We discussed various problems including how functional resting-state brain connectivity links to brain integration. We have mentioned connectomics - a field of neuroscience that provides a visual representation of  all neuronal connections between cerebral structures. But how to go further - to a mega scale description of the functional and structural integration of all cerebral structures and ecosystem elements?

That is the question, and my CEREBRART artwork illustrates this question.

CEREBRART - The Birth of Intentions

Motor actions are present before birth, we do not begin with ‘white paper’ at birth. Nevertheless, motor actions before birth are unintentional.  Intentions evolve in interaction with the evolving perceptual and cognitive systems during the early years of life. In other words, intentions are the product of the ways in which the child moves through the external world and interacts with external objects. Our life path is paved with our noble intentions. And our intentions, and therefore our actions are the product of deterministic processes, including processes of motivation.

Contemporary technological breakthroughs offer a unique opportunity to better understand how intentions emerge within the human brain. This CEREBRART work “The Birth of Intentions” illustrates that idea artistically.

CEREBRART - Trigeminal Neuralgia

Trigeminal Neuralgia is a disorder affecting the trigeminal nerve (the 5th cranial nerve), causing episodes of sudden, severe pain on one side of the face. Trigeminal Neuralgia has been described as among the most painful conditions known to mankind. Several theories exist to explain the possible mechanisms of Trigeminal Neuralgia. But the current theories and treatment options for Trigeminal Neuralgia are not satisfactory.

Recent data demonstrate that glial cells are involved in the development of neuropathic pain (e.g. Kimiko Kobayashi et al., Glia, Volume 60, Issue 10, pages 1529–1539, October 2012).

This CEREBRART work is an artistic interpretation of my own explanation of the possible mechanisms of Trigeminal Neuralgia.

CEREBRART - Neuronal Activism

Any brain cell’s activity is meaningful only with respect to what other brain cells are doing. The dynamic interplay between brain cells is the essence of brain function. Any brain activity relies on the stable propagation of action potentials from network to network.

Any motor action results from the integrated spatiotemporal coordinated activity of brain cell populations. Without coordinated activity amongst neural cells, the accomplishment of any motor task would not be possible.

This CEREBRART work illustrates “Neural Cells’ Manifestation” - an event, action that clearly embodies an abstract idea of “Neuronal Activism” - the coordinated activity of brain cell ensembles that are the source (and manifestation) of any human action.