Transient and Equilibrium Synchronization in Complex Neuronal Networks

Transient and equilibrium synchronizations in complex neuronal networks as a consequence of dynamics induced by having sources placed at specific neurons are investigated. The basic integrateand-fire neuron is adopted, and the dynamics is estimated computationally so as to obtain the activation at each node along each instant of time. In the transient case, the dynamics is implemented so as to conserve the total activation entering the system. In our equilibrium investigations, the internally stored activation is limited to the value of the respective threshold. The synchronization of the activation of the network is then quantified in terms of its normalized entropy. The equilibrium investigations involve the application of a number of complementary characterization methods, including spectra and Principal Component Analysis, as well as of an equivalent model capable of reproducing both the transient and equilibrium dynamics. The potential of such concepts and measurements is explored with respect to several theoretical models, as well as for the neuronal network of C. elegans. A series of interesting results are obtained and discussed, including the fact that all models led to a transient period of synchronization, whose specific features depend on the topological structures of the networks. The investigations of the equilibrium dynamics revealed a series of remarkable insights, including the relationship between spiking oscillations and the hierarchical structure of the networks and the identification of twin correlation patterns between node degree and total activation, implying that hubs of connectivity are also hubs of integrate-and-fire activation.