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Brain and Nonlinear Dynamics: Slow-Wave Sleep Regulates to the Edge of Chaos

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The Physics of the Mind and Brain Disorders

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Cognitive and Neural Systems ((SSCNS,volume 11))

Abstract

We present a theoretical modeling study that predicts that the EEG waveforms observed during the passage from wake through the stages of deepening natural sleep arise from the evolving interactions between symmetry-breaking transitions in the brain. These non-equilibrium transitions are brought on by modulations from naturally occurring neurotransmitters, primarily acetylcholine and GABA, whose concentrations vary dynamically during sleep. In particular, we find that the slow-wave oscillations of deepest nonREM sleep are fundamentally chaotic in nature, arising spontaneously from a competitive interaction between Turing (spatial) and Hopf (temporal) instabilities. We show that by introducing an activity-based regulation of inhibitory gap-junction diffusion, the sleeping cortex can move towards the edge of chaos defined by the boundary between the disordered slow-wave state and a pathologically ordered seizure-like state. We suggest that such self-organization could allow the brain to dwell in a state that is optimized for pruning and consolidation of memories.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand

    D. Alistair Steyn-Ross & Moira L. Steyn-Ross

Authors
  1. D. Alistair Steyn-Ross
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  2. Moira L. Steyn-Ross
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Correspondence to D. Alistair Steyn-Ross .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Ioan Opris

  2. Greenville Health System, University of South Carolina, School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC, USA

    Manuel F. Casanova

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Steyn-Ross, D.A., Steyn-Ross, M.L. (2017). Brain and Nonlinear Dynamics: Slow-Wave Sleep Regulates to the Edge of Chaos. In: Opris, I., Casanova, M.F. (eds) The Physics of the Mind and Brain Disorders. Springer Series in Cognitive and Neural Systems, vol 11. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29674-6_10

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