How the Brain Works: A Mechanical Theory Explaining Neural Function, Alzheimer's Disease and Epilepsy

This paper proposes that the brain operates in an information-centric manner rather than a pattern-centric manner. So, information is stored chemically in synaptic membranes, while electrical impulses, such as action potentials, trigger the movement of information. This explains why neurons possess both chemical and electrical components. Brain waves, as collective signatures of electrical impulses, thus provide a valuable map for when and how information is read, written, erased, and transferred within the brain. As a result, this paper introduces the concept of a frequency wave chart to map brain wave activity to specific neural processes. The chart’s purpose is to track the brain’s functions and to enable the identification and treatment of particular neural illnesses. Finally, this paper argues that Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy have been fundamentally misunderstood. To that end, Alzheimer’s is redefined as a disease involving the active and progressive erasure of memories rather than a simple memory loss disorder. Similarly, epilepsy is proposed to be a maladaptive sleep mechanism. Epileptic seizures are thus triggered to forcibly halt real-time sensory processing so as to ensure the successful transfer of short-term memories to long-term storage. By reinterpreting these diseases thru the information-focused theories set forth herein, this paper aims to provide novel insights that one day could revolutionize how brain illnesses are treated.