Critical synchronization dynamics of the Kuramoto model on connectome and small world graphs

Sci Rep. 2019 Dec 23;9(1):19621. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-54769-9.

Abstract

The hypothesis, that cortical dynamics operates near criticality also suggests, that it exhibits universal critical exponents which marks the Kuramoto equation, a fundamental model for synchronization, as a prime candidate for an underlying universal model. Here, we determined the synchronization behavior of this model by solving it numerically on a large, weighted human connectome network, containing 836733 nodes, in an assumed homeostatic state. Since this graph has a topological dimension d < 4, a real synchronization phase transition is not possible in the thermodynamic limit, still we could locate a transition between partially synchronized and desynchronized states. At this crossover point we observe power-law-tailed synchronization durations, with τt ≃ 1.2(1), away from experimental values for the brain. For comparison, on a large two-dimensional lattice, having additional random, long-range links, we obtain a mean-field value: τt ≃ 1.6(1). However, below the transition of the connectome we found global coupling control-parameter dependent exponents 1 < τt ≤ 2, overlapping with the range of human brain experiments. We also studied the effects of random flipping of a small portion of link weights, mimicking a network with inhibitory interactions, and found similar results. The control-parameter dependent exponent suggests extended dynamical criticality below the transition point.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Brain / cytology
  • Brain / physiology*
  • Computer Simulation*
  • Connectome*
  • Humans
  • Models, Neurological*
  • Nerve Net / cytology
  • Nerve Net / physiology*