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The fractal brain: scale-invariance in structure and dynamics.
George F Grosu1,2, Alexander V Hopp3, Vasile V Moca1
1Department of Experimental and Theoretical Neuroscience, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Str. Ploiesti 33, 400157 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|September 26, 2022
Summary
The brain exhibits fractal structures and scale-free dynamics, offering computational advantages for navigating complex environments. Further research is needed to fully understand these properties and their role in perception and behavior.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Complex Systems
Background:
- Extensive research over 40 years has explored fractal structure and scale-free dynamics in the brain.
- A comprehensive understanding linking these concepts to brain function mechanisms is still developing.
Approach:
- This review connects fractal and scale-free observations across structural and functional levels of brain organization.
- It links environmental constraints to the evolution of fractal and scale-free brain properties.
- The review discusses the scale-free nature of behavior and its emergence from brain dynamics.
Key Points:
- Cortical circuits are paradoxically less understood structurally than dynamically.
- Environmental constraints may explain the utility of fractal and scale-free brain dynamics.
- Behavioral scale-freeness likely arises from brain dynamics, aiding adaptation to similar environmental principles.
Conclusions:
- Fractality and scale-freeness may provide the brain with advanced computational capabilities beyond current models.
- These properties could be crucial for understanding how the brain forms percepts and generates behavior.
