Abstract
The brain is a complex adaptive system that evolved to reduce the inherent uncertainty present in a changing environment. In order to do so homeostatic and allostatic mechanisms developed throughout evolutionary history.
The sympathetic and parasympathetic networks form the basis of homeostasis and need to be governed by central control. For this different brain areas interact, and these interactions need to be balanced, via correlated and anticorrelated activity and maintained via correlated and anticorrelated connectivity. The triple network model may be an evolutionary extension of the brain networks involved in autonomic control. The central sympathetic control network extends into the salience network (SN) and the central executive network (CEN), both active when behaviorally relevant external stimuli need to be addressed in a goal-oriented manner. The central parasympathetic network evolves in the self-referential default mode network (DMN).
Psychological and psychiatric disorders are posited to be the consequence of dysregulated, that is, allostatic interactions within and between the triple network components, that is, the DMN, SN, and CEN.
Progressively rebuilding the individual networks, and subsequently, the interactions between the networks via neurofeedback protocols that involve coherence or connectivity training may offer a theoretical solution for many psychological and psychiatric disorders.
Whether this panacea approach may benefit patients with different psychological and psychiatric disorders needs to be determined by future research, but the theoretical approach allows specific training protocols to be developed.