Percolation in living neural networks.
We study living neural networks by measuring the neurons' response to a global electrical stimulation. Neural connectivity is lowered by reducing the synaptic strength, chemically blocking neurotransmitter receptors. We use a graph-theoretic approach to show that the connectivity undergoes a percolation transition. This occurs as the giant component disintegrates, characterized by a power law with an exponent beta approximately or = 0.65. Beta is independent of the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurons and indicates that the degree distribution is Gaussian rather than scale free.
Breskin
Ilan
I
Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Soriano
Jordi
J
Moses
Elisha
E
Tlusty
Tsvi
T
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D009415:Nerve Net; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*