Stochastic quorum percolation and noise focusing in neuronal networks

Abstract

Recent experiments have shown that the spontaneous activity of young dissociated neuronal cultures can be described as a process of highly inhomogeneous nucleation and front propagation due to the localization of noise activity, i.e., noise focusing. However, the basic understanding of the mechanisms of noise build-up leading to the nucleation remain an open fundamental problem. Here we present a minimal dynamical model called stochastic quorum percolation that can account for the observed phenomena, while providing a robust theoretical framework. The model reproduces the first and second order phase--transitions of bursting dynamics and neuronal avalanches respectively, and captures the profound effect metric correlations in the network topology can have on the dynamics. The application of our results to other systems such as in the propagation of infectious diseases and of rumors is discussed.

References in corpus (11)

• Statistical mechanics of complex networks
• Nonequilibrium Critical Phenomena and Phase Transitions into Absorbing States
• Optimal Dynamical Range of Excitable Networks at Criticality
• k-core organization of complex networks
• Universal scaling behavior of non-equilibrium phase transitions
• The Physics of Living Neural Networks
• Quasi-Critical Brain Dynamics on a Non-Equilibrium Widom Line
• Remarks on Bootstrap Percolation in Metric Networks
• Subsampled directed-percolation models explain scaling relations experimentally observed in the brain
• Quorum Percolation in Living Neural Networks
• Universal scaling behavior of directed percolation and the pair contact process in an external field