Perceptohen

Perceptohen is a term used in speculative neuroscience to refer to a hypothetical neuromodulatory molecule that modulates the salience and integration of sensory information. In proposed theories, perceptohen would adjust perceptual thresholds and influence attentional selection by altering synaptic gain in sensory and associative cortices as well as thalamic relay nuclei.

Discovery and terminology: The word is a neologism combining perception and hormone. It first appears in theoretical discussions in the early 2010s and remains controversial; there is no broadly accepted biochemical identity or receptor.

Biochemical properties and mechanism: In hypothetical models, perceptohen would be a small lipophilic molecule acting on G-protein coupled receptors expressed in cortical circuits. It is proposed to interact with existing neuromodulatory systems such as acetylcholine and norepinephrine to modulate gain control rather than elicit reward or mood directly. Mechanistic details vary across proposals; no consensus.

Evidence and status: There is no consistent experimental evidence for a naturally occurring perceptohen. Most references are speculative or involve computational simulations; it is not included in standard reviews of neuromodulation.

Impact and outlook: If substantiated, perceptohen could help explain variability in perceptual experiences and contribute to therapies for sensory processing disorders. Future work would require biochemical isolation, receptor identification, and in vivo demonstration of perceptual effects in model systems.