Neuronal Functional Diversity and Collective Behaviors

Abstract

A major question in today's neuroscience is how the brain's complex operations and organization emerge from individual components. The robustness of neuronal properties with flexible linkages between regulatory processes conceivably accounts for the adaptive, tunable, multistable dynamics; the coding schemes; and the complexity of neuronal functional (sub)systems. Interneurons and neurotransmitter diversity, resonance phenomena due to properties of the cell, time/frequency-dependent activation of dedicated neuronal assemblies, and code-and frequency-specific oscillations interact in determining the brain functional setup and operations. Such an arrangement would also provide the functional requirements for access to neural mechanisms, dedicated neuronal circuitry and the proper timing allowing for the selective differentiation among cortical neurons due to performing in different tasks. No comprehensive theory or systematic methodological approach appears yet conceivable. The scenario, however incomplete and incompletely characterized, is nevertheless promising and warrants further investigation.

Stochastic resonance improves vision in the severely impaired

“…In this regard, our findings are congruent with the identification of the visual cortices as the locus of SR phenomena in binocular and multisensory study paradigms 30 , 41 – 44 and with studies making use of transcranial magnetic stimulation to inject white noise directly into neuronal processing at cortical level 45 , 46 . Images with dynamic Gaussian noise at spatial frequency (>45 cycle/degrees) incompatible with the human contrast sensitivity function activate the visual cortex 47 . Some general compatibility of visual processing with, or intrinsic adaptation to the SR paradigm seems conceivable; it would be in line with the SR modeling brain functions 48 , 49 , as well as with the observation that the individual subject’s contrast sensitivity did not predict the optimal noise level in this study.…”

Transition dynamics of EEG-based network microstates during mental arithmetic and resting wakefulness reflects task-related modulations and developmental changes

“…Neural synchrony can be measured non-invasively with electroengephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). There is a large body of evidence from such recordings in humans, indicating a close relation between synchronous oscillatory activity and a variety of perceptual and cognitive functions (Herculano-Houzel et al 1999;Fries et al 2001;Buzsaki 2005;Womelsdorf et al 2007;Klimesch et al 2007;Palva 2007, 2011).…”

Signal transmission in two-way coupled neural system: system size effect

“…Up to now, nonlinear dynamics of neurons has been studied both experimentally and theoretically as a main topic in neuroscience [21][22][23][24]. Moreover, since neural input is derived from a large number of other neurons, randomlike behavior may occur which might be highly correlated among a piece of neurons [25].…”