title: Enlarging the scope: grasping brain complexity.
abstract: To further advance our understanding of the brain, new concepts and theories are needed. In particular, the ability of the brain to create information flows must be reconciled with its propensity for synchronization and mass action. The theoretical and empirical framework of Coordination Dynamics, a key aspect of which is metastability, are presented as a starting point to study the interplay of integrative and segregative tendencies that are expressed in space and time during the normal course of brain and behavioral function. Some recent shifts in perspective are emphasized, that may ultimately lead to a better understanding of brain complexity.
authors.affiliation: The Human Brain and Behavior Laboratory, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tognoli
authors.affiliation: The Human Brain and Behavior Laboratory, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL, USA ; Intelligent System Research Centre, University of Ulster Derry, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: J A Scott
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kelso
keywords: brain coordination dynamics; functional connectivity; integration; metastability; segregation