Fractals in the nervous system: conceptual implications for theoretical neuroscience

Gerhard Werner
2010 Frontiers in Physiology  
This essay is presented with two principal objectives in mind: first, to document the prevalence of fractals at all levels of the nervous system, giving credence to the notion of their functional relevance; and second, to draw attention to the as yet still unresolved issues of the detailed relationships among power-law scaling, self-similarity, and self-organized criticality. As regards criticality, I will document that it has become a pivotal reference point in Neurodynamics. Furthermore, I
more » ... l emphasize the not yet fully appreciated significance of allometric control processes. For dynamic fractals, I will assemble reasons for attributing to them the capacity to adapt task execution to contextual changes across a range of scales. The final Section consists of general reflections on the implications of the reviewed data, and identifies what appear to be issues of fundamental importance for future research in the rapidly evolving topic of this review.
doi:10.3389/fphys.2010.00015 pmid:21423358 pmcid:PMC3059969 fatcat:qjhzo4ioarg35crh3eblkxfyiq