Dynamical inter-region coupling in the brain: A meso-scopic model from a dynamical systems viewpoint

In this paper we consider region-to-region interaction in the brain from a dynamical systems viewpoint, and explain it by proposing a simple model at a mesoscale level. The model is characterized by the following two points: (1) Spatio-temporal patterns of neural activities corresponding to some sort of 'attractors' in a local region are symbolically represented by simple limit-cycle orbits, and (2) dynamical inter-region coupling is realized as a form of mutual excitation among these orbits. By numerical simulations, we show how the phase transition between the activation state and the resting state in the real brain can be explained from this dynamical systems viewpoint.