Experimental Evidence of Classical Conditioning and Microscopic Engrams in an Electroconductive Material

<div><p>Synthetic experimental substrates are indispensable tools which can allow researchers to model biological processes non-invasively in three-dimensional space. In this study, we investigated the capacities of an electroconductive material whose properties converge upon those of the brain. An electrically conductive material composed of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, ions, water, and trace amounts of other organic compounds and minerals was classically conditioned as inferred by electrophysiological measurements. Spectral densities evoked during the display of a conditioned stimulus (CS) probe were strongly congruent with those displayed during the conditioned-unconditioned stimulus pairing (CS-UCS). The neutral stimulus consisted of the pulsed light from a LED. The unconditioned stimulus was an alternating current. Interstimulus intervals >130 ms did not result in conditioned responses. Microscopic analysis of the chemically-fixed substratum revealed 10–200 μm wide ‘vessel structures’ within samples exposed to a stimulus. Greater complexity (increased fractal dimensions) was clearly discernable by light microscopy for stained sections of fixed samples that had been conditioned compared to various controls. The denser pixels indicated greater concentration of stain and increased canalization. Implications for learning and memory formation are discussed.</p></div

Mean vessel structure counts by exposure type for slides stained with TBO.

<p>Standard error bars are provided.</p

Conditioning apparatus.

<p>Stimuli are presented by a digital-to-analog microcontroller operating at 5V (A) into bilateral pieces of electroconductive material which holds an LED (B) in parallel and further still into the conditioning focus (C) which is referenced to its own lateral extremities (Ref) in a monopolar QEEG montage with the Cz sensor mounted at the apex of the spherical mass. The real experimental set up was photographed and is presented below the schematic.</p

Mean standardized (z-score) spectral densities of the training phase (CS-UCS) displaying a clear peak (z>10) at approximately 10Hz.

<p>Harmonics are present at both 20Hz and 30Hz.</p

Plotted absolute non-parametric correlation coefficients (Spearman rho) demonstrating the systematic relationship between the spectral densities of the training phase (UCS-UCR) and the probe period (CS-CR).

<p>Plotted absolute non-parametric correlation coefficients (Spearman rho) demonstrating the systematic relationship between the spectral densities of the training phase (UCS-UCR) and the probe period (CS-CR).</p

Mean complexity (fractal dimension) scores extracted from 8-bit, binary images of sectioned samples stained with TBO, plotted as a function of exposure type prior to chemical fixation.

<p>Standard error bars are provided.</p

Rostral-Caudal Correlation.

<p>Scattergram of the correlation (r = 0.82) between the discrete potential difference values for the caudal-rostral vs left-right potential differences.</p

Mean standardized spectral densities (z-scores) computed from measurements obtained during the probe period (CR; squares) for the 3ms trace interval trials involving a 1 minute delay following the training phase with 0.2Hz increment deviations within the 17Hz to 19Hz band.

<p>Condition-matched data for the training phase or UCS-UCR (circles) is also plotted.</p

Samples stained with TBO, imaged at 40x magnification under Phase 2 contrast light microscopy classified by exposure type prior to chemical fixation.

<p>“Vessel structures” were measured to be 10–200 μm wide.</p