2,356 research outputs found
How single neuron properties shape chaotic dynamics and signal transmission in random neural networks
While most models of randomly connected networks assume nodes with simple
dynamics, nodes in realistic highly connected networks, such as neurons in the
brain, exhibit intrinsic dynamics over multiple timescales. We analyze how the
dynamical properties of nodes (such as single neurons) and recurrent
connections interact to shape the effective dynamics in large randomly
connected networks. A novel dynamical mean-field theory for strongly connected
networks of multi-dimensional rate units shows that the power spectrum of the
network activity in the chaotic phase emerges from a nonlinear sharpening of
the frequency response function of single units. For the case of
two-dimensional rate units with strong adaptation, we find that the network
exhibits a state of "resonant chaos", characterized by robust, narrow-band
stochastic oscillations. The coherence of stochastic oscillations is maximal at
the onset of chaos and their correlation time scales with the adaptation
timescale of single units. Surprisingly, the resonance frequency can be
predicted from the properties of isolated units, even in the presence of
heterogeneity in the adaptation parameters. In the presence of these
internally-generated chaotic fluctuations, the transmission of weak,
low-frequency signals is strongly enhanced by adaptation, whereas signal
transmission is not influenced by adaptation in the non-chaotic regime. Our
theoretical framework can be applied to other mechanisms at the level of single
nodes, such as synaptic filtering, refractoriness or spike synchronization.
These results advance our understanding of the interaction between the dynamics
of single units and recurrent connectivity, which is a fundamental step toward
the description of biologically realistic network models in the brain, or, more
generally, networks of other physical or man-made complex dynamical units
Mechanisms of Zero-Lag Synchronization in Cortical Motifs
Zero-lag synchronization between distant cortical areas has been observed in
a diversity of experimental data sets and between many different regions of the
brain. Several computational mechanisms have been proposed to account for such
isochronous synchronization in the presence of long conduction delays: Of
these, the phenomenon of "dynamical relaying" - a mechanism that relies on a
specific network motif - has proven to be the most robust with respect to
parameter mismatch and system noise. Surprisingly, despite a contrary belief in
the community, the common driving motif is an unreliable means of establishing
zero-lag synchrony. Although dynamical relaying has been validated in empirical
and computational studies, the deeper dynamical mechanisms and comparison to
dynamics on other motifs is lacking. By systematically comparing
synchronization on a variety of small motifs, we establish that the presence of
a single reciprocally connected pair - a "resonance pair" - plays a crucial
role in disambiguating those motifs that foster zero-lag synchrony in the
presence of conduction delays (such as dynamical relaying) from those that do
not (such as the common driving triad). Remarkably, minor structural changes to
the common driving motif that incorporate a reciprocal pair recover robust
zero-lag synchrony. The findings are observed in computational models of
spiking neurons, populations of spiking neurons and neural mass models, and
arise whether the oscillatory systems are periodic, chaotic, noise-free or
driven by stochastic inputs. The influence of the resonance pair is also robust
to parameter mismatch and asymmetrical time delays amongst the elements of the
motif. We call this manner of facilitating zero-lag synchrony resonance-induced
synchronization, outline the conditions for its occurrence, and propose that it
may be a general mechanism to promote zero-lag synchrony in the brain.Comment: 41 pages, 12 figures, and 11 supplementary figure
Spontaneous and stimulus-induced coherent states of critically balanced neuronal networks
How the information microscopically processed by individual neurons is
integrated and used in organizing the behavior of an animal is a central
question in neuroscience. The coherence of neuronal dynamics over different
scales has been suggested as a clue to the mechanisms underlying this
integration. Balanced excitation and inhibition may amplify microscopic
fluctuations to a macroscopic level, thus providing a mechanism for generating
coherent multiscale dynamics. Previous theories of brain dynamics, however,
were restricted to cases in which inhibition dominated excitation and
suppressed fluctuations in the macroscopic population activity. In the present
study, we investigate the dynamics of neuronal networks at a critical point
between excitation-dominant and inhibition-dominant states. In these networks,
the microscopic fluctuations are amplified by the strong excitation and
inhibition to drive the macroscopic dynamics, while the macroscopic dynamics
determine the statistics of the microscopic fluctuations. Developing a novel
type of mean-field theory applicable to this class of interscale interactions,
we show that the amplification mechanism generates spontaneous, irregular
macroscopic rhythms similar to those observed in the brain. Through the same
mechanism, microscopic inputs to a small number of neurons effectively entrain
the dynamics of the whole network. These network dynamics undergo a
probabilistic transition to a coherent state, as the magnitude of either the
balanced excitation and inhibition or the external inputs is increased. Our
mean-field theory successfully predicts the behavior of this model.
Furthermore, we numerically demonstrate that the coherent dynamics can be used
for state-dependent read-out of information from the network. These results
show a novel form of neuronal information processing that connects neuronal
dynamics on different scales.Comment: 20 pages 12 figures (main text) + 23 pages 6 figures (Appendix); Some
of the results have been removed in the revision in order to reduce the
volume. See the previous version for more result
- …