We study the effect of learning dynamics on network topology. A network of discrete dynamical systems is considered for this purpose and the coupling strengths are made to evolve according to a temporal learning rule that is based on the paradigm of spike-time-dependent plasticity. This incorporates necessary competition between different edges. The final network we obtain is robust and has a broad degree distribution.
Understanding the functioning of a neural system in terms of its underlying circuitry is an important problem in neuroscience. Recent developments in electrophysiology and imaging allow one to simultaneously record activities of hundreds of neurons. Inferring the underlying neuronal connectivity patterns from such multi-neuronal spike train data streams is a challenging statistical and computational problem. This task involves finding significant temporal patterns from vast amounts of symbolic time series data. In this paper we show that the frequent episode mining methods from the field of temporal data mining can be very useful in this context. In the frequent episode discovery framework, the data is viewed as a sequence of events, each of which is characterized by an event type and its time of occurrence and episodes are certain types of temporal patterns in such data. Here we show that, using the set of discovered frequent episodes from multi-neuronal data, one can infer different types of connectivity patterns in the neural system that generated it. For this purpose, we introduce the notion of mining for frequent episodes under certain temporal constraints; the structure of these temporal constraints is motivated by the application. We present algorithms for discovering serial and parallel episodes under these temporal constraints. Through extensive simulation studies we demonstrate that these methods are useful for unearthing patterns of neuronal network connectivity.
In this work we studied the combined action of chemical and electrical synapses in small networks of Hindmarsh-Rose (HR) neurons on the synchronous behaviour and on the rate of information produced (per time unit) by the networks. We show that if the chemical synapse is excitatory, the larger the chemical synapse strength used the smaller the electrical synapse strength needed to achieve complete synchronisation, and for moderate synaptic strengths one should expect to find desynchronous behaviour. Otherwise, if the chemical synapse is inhibitory, the larger the chemical synapse strength used the larger the electrical synapse strength needed to achieve complete synchronisation, and for moderate synaptic strengths one should expect to find synchronous behaviours. Finally, we show how to calculate semi-analytically an upper bound for the rate of information produced per time unit (Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy) in larger networks. As an application, we show that this upper bound is linearly proportional to the number of neurons in a network whose neurons are highly connected.
Oscillatory dynamics of complex networks has recently attracted great attention. In this paper we study pattern formation in oscillatory complex networks consisting of excitable nodes. We find that there exist a few center nodes and small skeletons for most oscillations. Complicated and seemingly random oscillatory patterns can be viewed as well-organized target waves propagating from center nodes along the shortest paths, and the shortest loops passing through both the center nodes and their driver nodes play the role of oscillation sources. Analyzing simple skeletons we are able to understand and predict various essential properties of the oscillations and effectively modulate the oscillations. These methods and results will give insights into pattern formation in complex networks, and provide suggestive ideas for studying and controlling oscillations in neural networks.
The instability of mixing in the Kuramoto model of coupled phase oscillators is the key to understanding a range of spatiotemporal patterns, which feature prominently in collective dynamics of systems ranging from neuronal networks, to coupled lasers, to power grids. In this paper, we describe a codimension-2 bifurcation of mixing whose unfolding, in addition to the classical scenario of the onset of synchronization, also explains the formation of clusters and chimeras. We use a combination of linear stability analysis and Penrose diagrams to identify and analyze a variety of spatiotemporal patterns including stationary and traveling coherent clusters and twisted states, as well as their combinations with regions of incoherent behavior called chimera states. The linear stability analysis is used to estimate of the velocity distribution within these structures. Penrose diagrams, on the other hand, predict accurately the basins of their existence. Furthermore, we show that network topology can endow chimera states with nontrivial spatial organization. In particular, we present twisted chimera states, whose coherent regions are organized as stationary or traveling twisted states. The analytical results are illustrated with numerical bifurcation diagrams computed for the Kuramoto model with uni-, bi-, and tri-modal frequency distributions and all-to-all and nonlocal nearest-neighbor connectivity.
Many neuronal systems and models display a certain class of mixed mode oscillations (MMOs) consisting of periods of small amplitude oscillations interspersed with spikes. Various models with different underlying mechanisms have been proposed to generate this type of behavior. Stochast