Top-down mechanisms of perception: dynamical-systems scenarios based on neurophysiology

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Part I focuses on the neural mechanism of how the brain can recall memories such as mental imageries, or scenes of past events. We argued the role for the transient projection of corticopetal acetylcholine from the NBM (nucleus basalis of Meinert) associated with conscious attention. We proposed a dynamical systems-theoretic scenario for the conscious recall of memories with numerical studies to confirm theoretical predictions. In Part II, we study the neural 'patho-mechanism' that may lead to visual hallucinations (VH) experienced by patients with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). Its core symptom caused by some unknown internal top-down mechanism is that a non-existing image of mostly a human or animal appears, sustaining for a few minutes. The neural mechanism that accounts for its characteristic symptomatology and its theoretical framework are not known. We proposed a concept model of VH in DLB that is based on cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology.