Myopic control of neural dynamics

PLoS Comput Biol. 2019 Mar 11;15(3):e1006854. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006854. eCollection 2019 Mar.

Abstract

Manipulating the dynamics of neural systems through targeted stimulation is a frontier of research and clinical neuroscience; however, the control schemes considered for neural systems are mismatched for the unique needs of manipulating neural dynamics. An appropriate control method should respect the variability in neural systems, incorporating moment to moment "input" to the neural dynamics and behaving based on the current neural state, irrespective of the past trajectory. We propose such a controller under a nonlinear state-space feedback framework that steers one dynamical system to function as through it were another dynamical system entirely. This "myopic" controller is formulated through a novel variant of a model reference control cost that manipulates dynamics in a short-sighted manner that only sets a target trajectory of a single time step into the future (hence its myopic nature), which omits the need to pre-calculate a rigid and computationally costly neural feedback control solution. To demonstrate the breadth of this control's utility, two examples with distinctly different applications in neuroscience are studied. First, we show the myopic control's utility to probe the causal link between dynamics and behavior for cognitive processes by transforming a winner-take-all decision-making system to operate as a robust neural integrator of evidence. Second, an unhealthy motor-like system containing an unwanted beta-oscillation spiral attractor is controlled to function as a healthy motor system, a relevant clinical example for neurological disorders.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Decision Making
  • Humans
  • Nervous System Diseases / physiopathology
  • Neural Networks, Computer*
  • Nonlinear Dynamics

Grants and funding

IMP and DH were partially supported by the Thomas Hartman Center for Parkinson’s Research (64249). IMP was partially supported by National Science Foundation (NSF IIS-1734910) and National Institute of Health (NIH R01EB026946). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.