How does thinking create action potentials?

[scilearner]

Hello guys,

 

I don't know much about brain and stuff I only know a bit about action potential. My question is I can understand how sensory nerves by a stimulus, but let's say I want to pick a pen. How does brain initiate the action potential for that? This might have been dicussed before but I'm not sure what to type in google to find the answer. Thanks

[iNow]

That's actually a very big question. It touches on the ideas of motivation and choice, and the short answer is that these things happen as a result of several different areas and processes all working together in conjunction. Others here may be able to offer a more detailed answer, but in the meantime, you can explore here:

 

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/introb.html

[the.archer]

well i studied that long time ago, but part of brain that is responsible for reasoning controls voluntary actions, for example picking a pen. this part receives and process commands, something like what a CPU does. For further explanations go to

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain

[LimbicLoser]

It might be good to work this down in scope some; as it stands, I really don't think an answer would get you what you want. The first place to start (in the event the links leave something out) might very well be the term 'action potential.' The next would be the more precise definition of the verb 'think.'

 

As the cells diversify and those which are to become the cortical cells migrate into into position, then branch out, we could, kind of, see it as 'thinking'--but most usually it's not thought of in that way at all. When a visual target that is held in short-term memory is captured by brain through the visual process, the proper controlling system of neurons move the eyes so that the target will hit the fovea of the retinas, and fix the eyes on the target a matter of milliseconds before cognition of having seen the target is reportable. This can also be considered thinking, but usually, in the more pragmatic terms of everyday life, it is not.

 

In the event that you were holding the memory of the desire for a pen in your 'workspace' of conscious attention (access consciousness), and found one in your visual field, there would be, we can fairly consider, some matching being done, some synchronized firing all over the place, and part of that would be to your motor and somtosensory areas. If the synch and signal strength (seemingly especially the synch) were enough, the movement would be executed along with the cerebellum and pons area helping out.

 

However, we might answer your question by saying that by bio-chemical release, brain does that.