title: Phase transitions towards criticality in a neural system with adaptive interactions.
abstract: We analytically describe a transition scenario to self-organized criticality (SOC) that is new for physics as well as neuroscience; it combines the criticality of first and second-order phase transitions with a SOC phase. We consider a network of pulse-coupled neurons interacting via dynamical synapses, which exhibit depression and facilitation as found in experiments. We analytically show the coexistence of a SOC phase and a subcritical phase connected by a cusp bifurcation. Switching between the two phases can be triggered by varying the intensity of noisy inputs.
authors.affiliation: Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Bunsenstrasse 10, 37073 Göottingen, Germany. anna@nld.ds.mpg.de
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Levina
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Geisel
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009431:Neural Conduction; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000502:physiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents