An Electronic Circuit Model of the Interpostsynaptic Functional LINK Designed to Study the Formation of Internal Sensations in the Nervous System

Figure 9

Representative diagram showing the functioning of the electronic circuit explained as occurring in four states. STATE1 explains native synaptic function before associative learning is undergone. It demonstrates that even if the postsynaptic terminals of two synapses are abutted to each other, the arrival of activity at one of the postsynaptic terminals alone does not result in any change between the postsynaptic terminals. STATE2 demonstrates that the simultaneous activation of the postsynaptic terminals of two synapses results in the formation of a functional LINK between them. STATE3 demonstrates that once a functional LINK is formed between the postsynaptic terminals by associative learning, it remains dormant until the arrival of activity at one of the postsynaptic terminals occurs. STATE4 demonstrates the reactivation of the previously formed functional LINK between the postsynaptic terminals by the arrival of neuronal activity at one of the postsynaptic terminals N_A resulting in activation of the second postsynapse. This results in (a) the induction of the semblance of activity arriving from N_C and (b) the spread of activity in the downstream direction (towards the higher neuronal order) from both the LINKed postsynaptic terminals. The four small boxes with solid sides within the large dotted box on the far right side represent the pre- (left) and postsynapses (right).