title: A stochastic mechanism for signal propagation in the brain: Force of rapid random fluctuations in membrane potentials of individual neurons.
abstract: There are two functionally important factors in signal propagation in a brain structural network: the very first synaptic delay-a time delay about 1ms-from the moment when signals originate to the moment when observation on the signal propagation can begin; and rapid random fluctuations in membrane potentials of every individual neuron in the network at a timescale of microseconds. We provide a stochastic analysis of signal propagation in a general setting. The analysis shows that the two factors together result in a stochastic mechanism for the signal propagation as described below. A brain structural network is not a rigid circuit rather a very flexible framework that guides signals to propagate but does not guarantee success of the signal propagation. In such a framework, with the very first synaptic delay, rapid random fluctuations in every individual neuron in the network cause an "alter-and-concentrate effect" that almost surely forces signals to successfully propagate. By the stochastic mechanism we provide analytic evidence for the existence of a force behind signal propagation in a brain structural network caused by rapid random fluctuations in every individual neuron in the network at a timescale of microseconds with a time delay of 1ms.
authors.affiliation: Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ 08102, USA. Electronic address: dhong@camden.rutgers.edu.
authors.forename: Dawei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall, MN 56258, USA.
authors.forename: Shushuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Man
authors.affiliation: Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ 08102, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D008959:Models, Neurological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D011336:Probability; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013269:Stochastic Processes; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Rapid random fluctuations in neuronal membrane potentials; Signal propagation in the brain; Stochastic analysis; Synaptic delay