Diffuse neural coupling mediates complex network dynamics through the formation of quasi-critical brain states

Abstract

A principle of neuroanatomy, namely diffuse connectivity, is modeled using a large-scale network of corticothalamic neural masses. We demonstrate that increases in diffuse coupling transition the system through a quasi-critical regime, which coincides with known signatures of complex adaptive brain dynamics, and model fits to human imaging data orient task states to higher levels of diffusivity, consistent with the influence of arousal systems.