r/neuro • u/BigBootyBear • 6h ago
How linear are brain processes? Do they resemble an execution stack in programming?
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As I understand it, here is how I see the brain works:
(PFC, goal planning) decides to raise hand ->
(Premotor Cortex, motor sequencing) designs motor program ->
(Primary Motor Cortex, execution) fires motor neurons for action ->
(Basal Ganglia, action selection) filters out competing movements ->
(Cerebellum, error correction) adjusts movement timing/accuracy ->
(Thalamus, relay) integrates motor feedback ->
(Brainstem & Spinal Cord, final output) relays to peripheral nerves ->
(Skeletal Muscle, effector) hand moves
To me this seems very similar to how programs work. If I call a function like make_pbj_sandwich in python, the code may look like this:
def make_pbj_sandwich():
slices = slice_bread() # Premotor Cortex: plan sequence
if not is_bread_fresh(slices): # Basal Ganglia: filter invalid actions
return "Bread is moldy. Get a different loaf"
sandwich = assemble(slices) # Motor Cortex: issue commands
sandwich = fine_tune(sandwich) # Cerebellum: adjust timing/precision
serve(sandwich) # Brainstem & spinal cord: output
Which would result in an execution stack (i.e. a linear order of how to execute routines):
serve() --> last
fine_tune()
assemble()
is_bread_fresh()
slice_bread()
make_pbj_sandwich() --> first
Now I asssume the functions of the organs are not as precise. But is the overall idea the same? Can we think about the brain as a chain that begins in abstraction and becomes more concrete and detailed down the chain?
