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Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive

Neuronal Avalanches in Neocortical Circuits

John M. Beggs and Dietmar Plenz
Journal of Neuroscience 3 December 2003, 23 (35) 11167-11177; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-35-11167.2003
John M. Beggs
Unit of Neural Network Physiology, Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
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Dietmar Plenz
Unit of Neural Network Physiology, Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
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Abstract

Networks of living neurons exhibit diverse patterns of activity, including oscillations, synchrony, and waves. Recent work in physics has shown yet another mode of activity in systems composed of many nonlinear units interacting locally. For example, avalanches, earthquakes, and forest fires all propagate in systems organized into a critical state in which event sizes show no characteristic scale and are described by power laws. We hypothesized that a similar mode of activity with complex emergent properties could exist in networks of cortical neurons. We investigated this issue in mature organotypic cultures and acute slices of rat cortex by recording spontaneous local field potentials continuously using a 60 channel multielectrode array. Here, we show that propagation of spontaneous activity in cortical networks is described by equations that govern avalanches. As predicted by theory for a critical branching process, the propagation obeys a power law with an exponent of -3/2 for event sizes, with a branching parameter close to the critical value of 1. Simulations show that a branching parameter at this value optimizes information transmission in feedforward networks, while preventing runaway network excitation. Our findings suggest that “neuronal avalanches” may be a generic property of cortical networks, and represent a mode of activity that differs profoundly from oscillatory, synchronized, or wave-like network states. In the critical state, the network may satisfy the competing demands of information transmission and network stability.

  • cortex
  • organotypic culture
  • branching process
  • self-organized criticality
  • multielectrode array
  • power law
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The Journal of Neuroscience: 23 (35)
Journal of Neuroscience
Vol. 23, Issue 35
3 Dec 2003
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Neuronal Avalanches in Neocortical Circuits
John M. Beggs, Dietmar Plenz
Journal of Neuroscience 3 December 2003, 23 (35) 11167-11177; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-35-11167.2003

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Neuronal Avalanches in Neocortical Circuits
John M. Beggs, Dietmar Plenz
Journal of Neuroscience 3 December 2003, 23 (35) 11167-11177; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-35-11167.2003
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Keywords

  • cortex
  • organotypic culture
  • branching process
  • self-organized criticality
  • multielectrode array
  • power law

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