Is criticality a unified setpoint of brain function?

Area of Science:

• Computational Neuroscience
• Systems Neuroscience
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Brains undergo selective pressures to optimize computational processes through development, plasticity, and homeostasis.
• The criticality hypothesis proposes a universal setpoint for brain function, characterized by marginally stable dynamics that maximize information processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the validity of the criticality hypothesis as a unifying principle of brain function.
• To resolve a long-standing controversy regarding the interpretation of experimental evidence for criticality in the brain.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis of 140 datasets published between 2003 and 2024 was conducted.
• Experimental evidence supporting the criticality hypothesis was reviewed.

Main Results:

• The study found that a persistent controversy surrounding brain criticality stems from a methodological choice unrelated to the underlying neural dynamics.
• Evidence suggests that criticality is a robust feature of brain function across diverse studies.

Conclusions:

• Criticality represents a fundamental principle for optimizing brain computation.
• Future research can utilize criticality to advance understanding of behavior, cognition, and neurological diseases.