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Fontenele AJ, Sooter JS, Norman VK, Gautam SH, Shew WL. Low-dimensional criticality embedded in high-dimensional awake brain dynamics. Sci Adv 2024; 10:eadj9303. [PMID: 38669340 PMCID: PMC11051676 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj9303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Whether cortical neurons operate in a strongly or weakly correlated dynamical regime determines fundamental information processing capabilities and has fueled decades of debate. We offer a resolution of this debate; we show that two important dynamical regimes, typically considered incompatible, can coexist in the same local cortical circuit by separating them into two different subspaces. In awake mouse motor cortex, we find a low-dimensional subspace with large fluctuations consistent with criticality-a dynamical regime with moderate correlations and multi-scale information capacity and transmission. Orthogonal to this critical subspace, we find a high-dimensional subspace containing a desynchronized dynamical regime, which may optimize input discrimination. The critical subspace is apparent only at long timescales, which explains discrepancies among some previous studies. Using a computational model, we show that the emergence of a low-dimensional critical subspace at large timescales agrees with established theory of critical dynamics. Our results suggest that the cortex leverages its high dimensionality to multiplex dynamical regimes across different subspaces.
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Barreiro AK, Fontenele AJ, Ly C, Raju PC, Gautam SH, Shew WL. Sensory input to cortex encoded on low-dimensional periphery-correlated subspaces. PNAS Nexus 2024; 3:pgae010. [PMID: 38250515 PMCID: PMC10798852 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
As information about the world is conveyed from the sensory periphery to central neural circuits, it mixes with complex ongoing cortical activity. How do neural populations keep track of sensory signals, separating them from noisy ongoing activity? Here, we show that sensory signals are encoded more reliably in certain low-dimensional subspaces. These coding subspaces are defined by correlations between neural activity in the primary sensory cortex and upstream sensory brain regions; the most correlated dimensions were best for decoding. We analytically show that these correlation-based coding subspaces improve, reaching optimal limits (without an ideal observer), as noise correlations between cortex and upstream regions are reduced. We show that this principle generalizes across diverse sensory stimuli in the olfactory system and the visual system of awake mice. Our results demonstrate an algorithm the cortex may use to multiplex different functions, processing sensory input in low-dimensional subspaces separate from other ongoing functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea K Barreiro
- Department of Mathematics, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275, USA
| | - Antonio J Fontenele
- Department of Physics, UA Integrative Systems Neuroscience, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Cheng Ly
- Department of Statistical Sciences and Operations Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Prashant C Raju
- Department of Physics, UA Integrative Systems Neuroscience, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Shree Hari Gautam
- Department of Physics, UA Integrative Systems Neuroscience, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Woodrow L Shew
- Department of Physics, UA Integrative Systems Neuroscience, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
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Fontenele AJ, Sooter JS, Norman VK, Gautam SH, Shew WL. Low dimensional criticality embedded in high dimensional awake brain dynamics. bioRxiv 2023:2023.01.05.522896. [PMID: 37546833 PMCID: PMC10401950 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.05.522896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Whether cortical neurons operate in a strongly or weakly correlated dynamical regime determines fundamental information processing capabilities and has fueled decades of debate. Here we offer a resolution of this debate; we show that two important dynamical regimes, typically considered incompatible, can coexist in the same local cortical circuit by separating them into two different subspaces. In awake mouse motor cortex, we find a low-dimensional subspace with large fluctuations consistent with criticality - a dynamical regime with moderate correlations and multi-scale information capacity and transmission. Orthogonal to this critical subspace, we find a high-dimensional subspace containing a desynchronized dynamical regime, which may optimize input discrimination. The critical subspace is apparent only at long timescales, which explains discrepancies among some previous studies. Using a computational model, we show that the emergence of a low-dimensional critical subspace at large timescale agrees with established theory of critical dynamics. Our results suggest that cortex leverages its high dimensionality to multiplex dynamical regimes across different subspaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio J. Fontenele
- UA Integrative Systems Neuroscience Group, Department of Physics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA, 72701
| | - J. Samuel Sooter
- UA Integrative Systems Neuroscience Group, Department of Physics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA, 72701
| | - V. Kindler Norman
- UA Integrative Systems Neuroscience Group, Department of Physics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA, 72701
| | - Shree Hari Gautam
- UA Integrative Systems Neuroscience Group, Department of Physics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA, 72701
| | - Woodrow L. Shew
- UA Integrative Systems Neuroscience Group, Department of Physics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA, 72701
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Lotfi N, Fontenele AJ, Feliciano T, Aguiar LAA, de Vasconcelos NAP, Soares-Cunha C, Coimbra B, Rodrigues AJ, Sousa N, Copelli M, Carelli PV. Signatures of brain criticality unveiled by maximum entropy analysis across cortical states. Phys Rev E 2021; 102:012408. [PMID: 32795006 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.102.012408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
It has recently been reported that statistical signatures of brain criticality, obtained from distributions of neuronal avalanches, can depend on the cortical state. We revisit these claims with a completely different and independent approach, employing a maximum entropy model to test whether signatures of criticality appear in urethane-anesthetized rats. To account for the spontaneous variation of cortical states, we parse the time series and perform the maximum entropy analysis as a function of the variability of the population spiking activity. To compare data sets with different numbers of neurons, we define a normalized distance to criticality that takes into account the peak and width of the specific heat curve. We found a universal collapse of the normalized distance to criticality dependence on the cortical state, on an animal by animal basis. This indicates a universal dynamics and a critical point at an intermediate value of spiking variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nastaran Lotfi
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Antonio J Fontenele
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Thaís Feliciano
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Leandro A A Aguiar
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Nivaldo A P de Vasconcelos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, 4710-057, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, 4806-909, Portugal
| | - Carina Soares-Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, 4710-057, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, 4806-909, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Coimbra
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, 4710-057, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, 4806-909, Portugal
| | - Ana João Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, 4710-057, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, 4806-909, Portugal
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, 4710-057, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, 4806-909, Portugal
| | - Mauro Copelli
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Pedro V Carelli
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
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Carvalho TTA, Fontenele AJ, Girardi-Schappo M, Feliciano T, Aguiar LAA, Silva TPL, de Vasconcelos NAP, Carelli PV, Copelli M. Subsampled Directed-Percolation Models Explain Scaling Relations Experimentally Observed in the Brain. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 14:576727. [PMID: 33519388 PMCID: PMC7843423 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2020.576727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2002] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent experimental results on spike avalanches measured in the urethane-anesthetized rat cortex have revealed scaling relations that indicate a phase transition at a specific level of cortical firing rate variability. The scaling relations point to critical exponents whose values differ from those of a branching process, which has been the canonical model employed to understand brain criticality. This suggested that a different model, with a different phase transition, might be required to explain the data. Here we show that this is not necessarily the case. By employing two different models belonging to the same universality class as the branching process (mean-field directed percolation) and treating the simulation data exactly like experimental data, we reproduce most of the experimental results. We find that subsampling the model and adjusting the time bin used to define avalanches (as done with experimental data) are sufficient ingredients to change the apparent exponents of the critical point. Moreover, experimental data is only reproduced within a very narrow range in parameter space around the phase transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tawan T A Carvalho
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | | | - Mauricio Girardi-Schappo
- Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Thaís Feliciano
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Leandro A A Aguiar
- Departamento de Ciências Fundamentais e Sociais, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Areia, Brazil
| | - Thais P L Silva
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Nivaldo A P de Vasconcelos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,Life and Health Sciences Research Institute/Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Braga, Portugal
| | - Pedro V Carelli
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Mauro Copelli
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
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Aguiar LA, de Vasconcelos NAP, Tunes GC, Fontenele AJ, de Albuquerque Nogueira R, Reyes MB, Carelli PV. Low-cost open hardware system for behavioural experiments simultaneously with electrophysiological recordings. HardwareX 2020; 8:e00132. [PMID: 35498270 PMCID: PMC9041193 DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2020.e00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A major frontier in neuroscience is to find neural correlates of perception, learning, decision making, and a variety of other types of behavior. In the last decades, modern devices allow simultaneous recordings of different operant responses and the electrical activity of large neuronal populations. However, the commercially available instruments for studying operant conditioning are expensive, and the design of low-cost chambers has emerged as an appealing alternative to resource-limited laboratories engaged in animal behavior. In this article, we provide a full description of a platform that records the operant behavior and synchronizes it with the electrophysiological activity. The programming of this platform is open source, flexible, and adaptable to a wide range of operant conditioning tasks. We also show results of operant conditioning experiments with freely moving rats with simultaneous electrophysiological recordings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro A.A. Aguiar
- Departamento de Morfologia e Fisiologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE 52171-900, Brazil
- Physics Department, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
- Departamenteo de Ciências Fundamentais e Sociais, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Areia, PB, Brazil
| | - Nivaldo A P de Vasconcelos
- Physics Department, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga 4710-057, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s – PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães 4806-909, Portugal
| | - Gabriela Chiuffa Tunes
- Center for Mathematics, Computing and Cognition, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Antonio J. Fontenele
- Physics Department, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
| | | | - Marcelo Bussotti Reyes
- Center for Mathematics, Computing and Cognition, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Pedro V. Carelli
- Physics Department, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
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Fontenele AJ, de Vasconcelos NAP, Feliciano T, Aguiar LAA, Soares-Cunha C, Coimbra B, Dalla Porta L, Ribeiro S, Rodrigues AJ, Sousa N, Carelli PV, Copelli M. Criticality between Cortical States. Phys Rev Lett 2019; 122:208101. [PMID: 31172737 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.122.208101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Since the first measurements of neuronal avalanches, the critical brain hypothesis has gained traction. However, if the brain is critical, what is the phase transition? For several decades, it has been known that the cerebral cortex operates in a diversity of regimes, ranging from highly synchronous states (with higher spiking variability) to desynchronized states (with lower spiking variability). Here, using both new and publicly available data, we test independent signatures of criticality and show that a phase transition occurs in an intermediate value of spiking variability, in both anesthetized and freely moving animals. The critical exponents point to a universality class different from mean-field directed percolation. Importantly, as the cortex hovers around this critical point, the avalanche exponents follow a linear relation that encompasses previous experimental results from different setups and is reproduced by a model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio J Fontenele
- Physics Department, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Nivaldo A P de Vasconcelos
- Physics Department, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga 4710-057, Portugal
- ICVS/3Bs-PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Thaís Feliciano
- Physics Department, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Leandro A A Aguiar
- Physics Department, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
- Departamento de Morfologia e Fisiologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Recife, PE 52171-900, Brazil
| | - Carina Soares-Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga 4710-057, Portugal
- ICVS/3Bs-PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Coimbra
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga 4710-057, Portugal
- ICVS/3Bs-PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Leonardo Dalla Porta
- Physics Department, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
- Systems Neuroscience, Institut dInvestigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sidarta Ribeiro
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN 59056-450, Brazil
| | - Ana João Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga 4710-057, Portugal
- ICVS/3Bs-PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga 4710-057, Portugal
- ICVS/3Bs-PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Pedro V Carelli
- Physics Department, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Mauro Copelli
- Physics Department, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
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