Open Access Opinion

Understanding the Scope of the Contemporary Controversy about the Physical Nature and Modeling of the Action Potential: Insights from History and Philosophy of (Neuro)Science

Received: 09 October 2024;  Published: 13 February 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2501269

Abstract

According to mainstream neuroscience, the action potential (AP) is a purely dissipative electrical phenomenon that should be modeled as such. However, also (essentially) reversible mechanical, thermal, and optical changes in the neuron have been reported to accompany the movement of the AP along the axonal surface. These are not accounted [...]