Optimal Dynamical Range of Excitable Networks at Criticality

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dc.creatorKinouchi, Osame
dc.creatorCopelli, Mauro
dc.date2006-01-23
dc.date2007-05-15
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T08:01:33Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T08:01:33Z
dc.descriptionA recurrent idea in the study of complex systems is that optimal information processing is to be found near bifurcation points or phase transitions. However, this heuristic hypothesis has few (if any) concrete realizations where a standard and biologically relevant quantity is optimized at criticality. Here we give a clear example of such a phenomenon: a network of excitable elements has its sensitivity and dynamic range maximized at the critical point of a non-equilibrium phase transition. Our results are compatible with the essential role of gap junctions in olfactory glomeruli and retinal ganglionar cell output. Synchronization and global oscillations also appear in the network dynamics. We propose that the main functional role of electrical coupling is to provide an enhancement of dynamic range, therefore allowing the coding of information spanning several orders of magnitude. The mechanism could provide a microscopic neural basis for psychophysical laws.
dc.description2 figures, 6 pages
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0601037
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0601037
dc.identifierNature Physics, 2, 348-351 (2006)
dc.identifierdoi:10.1038/nphys289
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/128941
dc.subjectNeurons and Cognition
dc.subjectDisordered Systems and Neural Networks
dc.subjectCellular Automata and Lattice Gases
dc.subjectBiological Physics
dc.titleOptimal Dynamical Range of Excitable Networks at Criticality
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