Neocortical dynamics at multiple scales: EEG standing waves, statistical mechanics, and physical analogs

Lester Ingber, Paul L. Nunez
2011 Mathematical Biosciences  
T he dynamic behavior of scalp potentials (EEG) is apparently due to some combination of global and local processes with important top-down and bottom-up interactions across spatial scales. In treating global mechanisms, we stress the importance of myelinated axon propagation delays and periodic boundary conditions in the cortical-white matter system, which is topologically close to a spherical shell. By contrast, the proposed local mechanisms are multiscale interactions between cortical
more » ... via short-ranged non-myelinated fibers. A mechanical model consisting of a stretched string with attached nonlinear springs demonstrates the general idea. The string produces standing wav esa nalogous to largescale coherent EEG observed in some brain states. The attached springs are analogous to the smaller (mesoscopic) scale columnar dynamics. Generally,weexpect string displacement and EEG at all scales to result from both global and local phenomena. A statistical mechanics of neocortical interactions (SMNI) calculates oscillatory behavior consistent with typical EEG, within columns, between neighboring columns via short-ranged non-myelinated fibers, across cortical regions via myelinated fibers, and also derive a string equation consistent with the global EEG model.
doi:10.1016/j.mbs.2010.12.003 pmid:21167841 fatcat:seriewoaurfxbcik43yqeykrx4