Landau-Ginzburg theory of cortex dynamics: Scale-free avalanches emerge at the edge of synchronization.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the origin, nature, and functional significance of complex patterns of neural activity, as recorded by diverse electrophysiological and neuroimaging techniques, is a central challenge in neuroscience. Such patterns include collective oscillations emerging out of neural synchronization as well as highly heterogeneous outbursts of activity interspersed by periods of quiescence, called "neuronal avalanches." Much debate has been generated about the possible scale invariance or criticality of such avalanches and its relevance for brain function. Aimed at shedding light onto this, here we analyze the large-scale collective properties of the cortex by using a mesoscopic approach following the principle of parsimony of Landau-Ginzburg. Our model is similar to that of Wilson-Cowan fo

SUBMITTER: di Santo S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5816155 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature