Researchers challenge Connectome Projects and reveal new mindset mechanisms

In a recently published critique of the Connectome Projects, Dr. Gerard Marx from MX Biotech and Prof. Chaim Gilon of Hebrew University provides new perspectives on the complex structures of the brain that have long been overlooked.

Their latest work, published in the International Journal of Psychiatric Researchaddresses significant gaps in our understanding of neural connectivity and cognitive function, providing new insights into how mental states are encoded in the brain.

The Connectome Projects, a series of ambitious scientific initiatives, aimed to elucidate the neural ultrastructure of the brain in several species, including C. elegans, mice and humans. The projects aimed to achieve the following objectives:

• Unravel the organization of the brain on a synaptic scale.
• Map the circuits that coordinate the brain’s many functions.
• Understand basic cognitive operations.

Dr. However, Marx and Prof. Gilon emphasize that these projects, together with a subsequent review by Eisenstein, have significantly neglected a crucial element of the neural architecture: the neural extracellular matrix hydrogel (nECM/PNN). Previous studies have shown, using various staining methods such as electron microscopy (TEM, SEM) and mass spectrometry, that neurons are never completely “naked” but are instead surrounded by the nECM/PNN.

In their criticism, Dr. Marx and Prof. Gilon that the Connectome groups and Eisenstein’s review have failed to incorporate the significance of the nECM/PNN into their evaluations of neural connectivity and cognitive processes.

They propose a novel tripartite mechanism of neural memory based on biochemical interactions, where cognitive information units (cuinfo) are realized as metal-centered complexes within the nECM/PNN. This mechanism allows the encoding of emotional states through the complexation of neurotransmitters (NTs) released by neurons and glial cells.

Dr.’s criticism Marx and Prof. Gilon underlines a fundamental myopia in Connectome Projects’ approach, suggesting that the focus on traditional neural structures has hindered the development of a comprehensive model of brain mentality.

They note, “The more we know about structure, the harder it is to translate it into an easy-to-understand model.” This recognition of the complexity of brain structure opens new avenues for research and underlines the need for a more holistic understanding of neural connectivity.

Their work not only challenges prevailing models, but also paves the way for future research that integrates the critical role of the nECM/PNN in understanding brain function and mental processes.