Cited by 99Neural dynamics and brain functionFunctional Brain Connectivity StudiesVisual perception and processing mechanisms

Spontaneous Fluctuations and Non-linear Ignitions: Two Dynamic Faces of Cortical Recurrent Loops

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Moutard, Clément, Dehaene, Stanislas, Malach, Rafael·2015·Neuron

Abstract

Recent human neurophysiological recordings have uncovered two fundamental modes of cerebral cortex activity with distinct dynamics: an active mode characterized by a rapid and sustained activity ("ignition") and a spontaneous (resting-state) mode, manifesting ultra-slow fluctuations of low amplitude. We propose that both dynamics reflect two faces of the same recurrent loop mechanism: an integration device that accumulates ongoing stochastic activity and, either spontaneously or in a task-driven manner, crosses a dynamic threshold and ignites, leading to content-specific awareness. The hypothesis can explain a rich set of behavioral and neuronal phenomena, such as perceptual threshold, the high non-linearity of visual responses, the subliminal nature of spontaneous activity fluctuations, and the slow activity buildup anticipating spontaneous behavior (e.g., readiness potential). Further elaborations of this unified scheme, such as a cascade of integrators with different ignition thresholds or multi-stable states, can account for additional complexities in the repertoire of human cortical dynamics.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.09.018

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Authors
Moutard, C., Dehaene, S., & Malach, R.
Affiliations
  • Université Paris-Sud (FR)
  • Weizmann Institute of Science (IL)
Corresponding author
Malach, Rafael
Venue
Neuron
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2015-10
Volume
88
Issue
1
Pages
194-206
ISSN
0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1929542974
Cited by
99
References
119
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 9
FWCI
1.02
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuron (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Visual perception and processing mechanisms
Keywords
spontaneous fluctuations, resting-state brain activity, dynamic threshold, perceptual thresholds, subliminal processing, readiness potential, cortical dynamics
MeSH terms
Awareness, Cerebral Cortex, Electroencephalography, Humans, Neurons, Sensory Thresholds, Nonlinear Dynamics

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