Psychopathology and the binding problem

Normal cerebral activity is based on the rapid and flexible alternation of an enormous quantity of spatial-temporal patterns of neuronal firing. There is still much to learn about the mechanism that keeps neurons on functionally closed assemblies firing in synchronization. The explanation of this mechanism is the so called 'binding problem', one of the cornerstones of the generation of perceptions, cognitions, emotions and behaviours by the brain, and therefore of great interest to psychiatry. We explore the possibility that a 'binding dysfunction' could be a relevant aspect of the pathophysiology of mental disorders, and apply it to schizophrenia, in an attempt to integrate some neurobiological findings in this disorder, including a few preliminary data obtained with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).