The neuron as a temporal electroacoustic medium

F. Meseguer; F. Ramiro-Manzano

doi:10.1101/2023.12.20.572553

Research · Publication & note

The neuron as a temporal electroacoustic medium

Research publication

F. Meseguer and F. Ramiro-Manzano

bioRxiv preprint, version posted 25 March 2024

Abstract

The human brain is one of the most complex and intriguing scientific topics. The most established theory on neuronal communication is a pure electrical model based on the propagation of intracell cationic charges along the neurons. Here we propose a complementary model based on two properties of brain communication: A) The Coulomb interaction associated to the Action Potential (AP) pulse induces a deformation of the neuron membrane which travels as an acoustic signal, i.e.: The ions play an essential role and the electric and acoustic signals, composing the AP, are strongly correlated. B) As brain communication is stablished through a periodic train of AP pulses it induces a time periodic modulation of the acoustic parameters. In this framework we propose envisaging the neuron as a temporal electro-acoustic medium. The temporal varying media framework could help understanding brain conundrums such as propagation routes involved in the neuronal plasticity in the consolidation of the memory, as well as on the generation of the signals associated to the brain field theory.

How to cite

Initials first

F. Meseguer and F. Ramiro-Manzano. The neuron as a temporal electroacoustic medium. bioRxiv (2024). DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.20.572553

Family name first

Meseguer, F. and Ramiro-Manzano, F. The neuron as a temporal electroacoustic medium. bioRxiv (2024).

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The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, which has granted bioRxiv a licence to display it in perpetuity. This version is available under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. The figures are reproduced unchanged and with attribution. Official bioRxiv record and copyright notice.

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Figures

Complete original Figure 1 composition extracted directly from the embedded PDF image — **Figure 1.** Two scenario models of Na⁺ charge distribution in un-myelinated neurons: a) Debye layer extracell Na⁺ ion cloud; b) intracell Na⁺ ion cloud.

Complete original Figure 2 composition extracted directly from the embedded PDF image — **Figure 2.** Frequency ω vs k-vector dispersion relation in normalized units for the relative compressibility parameter κ′_M = 0.10.