TY - JOUR
T1 - Increased stability and breakdown of brain effective connectivity during slow-wave sleep: mechanistic insights from whole-brain computational modelling
AU - Jobst, B.M.
AU - Hindriks, R.
AU - Laufs, H.
AU - Tagliazucchi, E.
AU - Hahn, G.
AU - Ponce-Alvarez, A.
AU - Stevner, A.B.A.
AU - Kringelbach, M.L.
AU - Deco, G.
PY - 2017/7/5
Y1 - 2017/7/5
N2 - Recent research has found that the human sleep cycle is characterised by changes in spatiotemporal patterns of brain activity. Yet, we are still missing a mechanistic explanation of the local neuronal dynamics underlying these changes. We used whole-brain computational modelling to study the differences in global brain functional connectivity and synchrony of fMRI activity in healthy humans during wakefulness and slow-wave sleep. We applied a whole-brain model based on the normal form of a supercritical Hopf bifurcation and studied the dynamical changes when adapting the bifurcation parameter for all brain nodes to best match wakefulness and slow-wave sleep. Furthermore, we analysed differences in effective connectivity between the two states. In addition to significant changes in functional connectivity, synchrony and metastability, this analysis revealed a significant shift of the global dynamic working point of brain dynamics, from the edge of the transition between damped to sustained oscillations during wakefulness, to a stable focus during slow-wave sleep. Moreover, we identified a significant global decrease in effective interactions during slow-wave sleep. These results suggest a mechanism for the empirical functional changes observed during slow-wave sleep, namely a global shift of the brain’s dynamic working point leading to increased stability and decreased effective connectivity.
AB - Recent research has found that the human sleep cycle is characterised by changes in spatiotemporal patterns of brain activity. Yet, we are still missing a mechanistic explanation of the local neuronal dynamics underlying these changes. We used whole-brain computational modelling to study the differences in global brain functional connectivity and synchrony of fMRI activity in healthy humans during wakefulness and slow-wave sleep. We applied a whole-brain model based on the normal form of a supercritical Hopf bifurcation and studied the dynamical changes when adapting the bifurcation parameter for all brain nodes to best match wakefulness and slow-wave sleep. Furthermore, we analysed differences in effective connectivity between the two states. In addition to significant changes in functional connectivity, synchrony and metastability, this analysis revealed a significant shift of the global dynamic working point of brain dynamics, from the edge of the transition between damped to sustained oscillations during wakefulness, to a stable focus during slow-wave sleep. Moreover, we identified a significant global decrease in effective interactions during slow-wave sleep. These results suggest a mechanism for the empirical functional changes observed during slow-wave sleep, namely a global shift of the brain’s dynamic working point leading to increased stability and decreased effective connectivity.
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U2 - 10.1038/s41598-017-04522-x
DO - 10.1038/s41598-017-04522-x
M3 - Article
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 7
SP - 1
EP - 16
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
IS - 1
M1 - 4634
ER -