Epineuronal space: an emerging hidden hierarchy bridges neuron and mind space

The emergent nature of life hinders reductionist paradigms of mapping microscale fundamental components with macroscale phenotypes. Such dilemma of mapping problems can be resolved through seeking hidden hierarchies among them. In developmental biology, the introduction of epigenotype highlighting developmental tissue scale interactions bridges the gap between phenotype and genotype, providing an instance for coping with mapping problems. As an analogy, we summarize a space above neuron level, named as epineuronal space, which represents an organization form constructed by neural assemblies, oscillations, their collective dynamics and working states. This hidden hierarchy is hypothesized to bridge neuron and mind space in a paradigm combining systemic and reductionist approaches. That is, to elucidate organization forms among epineuronal space, and to dissect the latter into circuit and neuron level. Advent of techniques like Neuropixel enables us to construct such space, making this paradigm a testable frame.