Application of the Catecholaminergic Neuron Electron Transport (CNET) Physical Substrate for Consciousness and Action Selection to Integrated Information Theory.
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland) January 6, 2022 Chris Rourk
A physical mechanism called catecholaminergic neuron electron transport (CNET), based on incoherent electron tunneling in ferritin protein layers, may enable communication and action selection among catecholaminergic neurons. Recent tests indicate these ferritin layers can perform a switching function, potentially allowing groups of neurons to select one neuron to help reach action potential. The paper argues that CNET is consistent with Integrated Information Theory (IIT) and could serve as a physical substrate for consciousness, potentially unifying multiple consciousness theories into a single explanation, though further testing is needed to confirm the hypothesized behavior.