A millimetric-scale simulation of electrocortical wave dynamics based on anatomical estimates of cortical synaptic density

Abstract

Estimates of the connectivity and synaptic densities of pyramidal and stellate cells of the cerebral cortex obtained earlier permit simulation of a lumped cellular network in which synaptic densities are translated into network coupling coefficients.

The simulation reproduces spectral, autoregression and frequency/wavenumber properties of real electrocortical waves, including all major cerebral rhythms.

The system control parameter is the mean strength of non-specific afferent inputs to the cortex, by analogy with non-specific cortical activation by the reticular formation and associated pathways. This control regulates total power, spectral density, spatial damping and wave velocity. The range of velocities also corresponds to physiological measurement.