Cliques of Neurons Bound into Cavities Provide a Missing Link between Structure and Function.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Computational Biology
• Network Science

Background:

• Understanding the brain's information processing relies on linking neural structure to emergent function.
• Current models often lack a formal connection between network architecture and functional outcomes.
• The directionality of synaptic transmission is a key factor in neural communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a formal link between neural network structure and emergent function.
• To investigate the role of synaptic transmission directionality in information processing.
• To uncover novel topological features of neural networks.

Main Methods:

• Constructing directed graphs representing synaptic transmission and information flow.
• Analyzing these directed graphs using algebraic topology.
• Applying the approach to a local neuronal network in the neocortex.

Main Results:

• Revealed a previously unseen, intricate topology of synaptic connectivity in the neocortex.
• Identified an abundance of neuronal cliques and cavities guiding correlated activity.
• Observed that stimuli evoke stereotypical sequences of clique and cavity evolution toward peak complexity.

Conclusions:

• The brain processes stimuli by forming increasingly complex functional cliques and cavities.
• This approach provides a new framework for understanding neural information processing.
• Synaptic connectivity topology plays a crucial role in emergent brain function.