title: All together now: Analogies between chimera state collapses and epileptic seizures.
abstract: Conceptually and structurally simple mathematical models of coupled oscillator networks can show a rich variety of complex dynamics, providing fundamental insights into many real-world phenomena. A recent and not yet fully understood example is the collapse of coexisting synchronous and asynchronous oscillations into a globally synchronous motion found in networks of identical oscillators. Here we show that this sudden collapse is promoted by a further decrease of synchronization, rather than by critically high synchronization. This strikingly counterintuitive mechanism can be found also in nature, as we demonstrate on epileptic seizures in humans. Analyzing spatiotemporal correlation profiles derived from intracranial electroencephalographic recordings (EEG) of seizures in epilepsy patients, we found a pronounced decrease of correlation at the seizure onsets. Applying our findings in a closed-loop control scheme to models of coupled oscillators in chimera states, we succeed in both provoking and preventing outbreaks of global synchronization. Our findings not only advance the understanding of networks of coupled dynamics but can open new ways to control them, thus offering a vast range of potential new applications.
authors.affiliation: Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ralph G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Andrzejak
authors.affiliation: Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, University Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rummel
authors.affiliation: Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mormann
authors.affiliation: Schlaf-Wach-Epilepsie-Zentrum (SWEZ), Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Kaspar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schindler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010507:Periodicity; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis; D055815:Young Adult