Modeling of the Cognitive Properties of the Brain Thalamus as a System with Self-organized Criticality

摘要

A mathematical model of the cognitive properties of the "specific" structure of thalamic nuclei is proposed, which allows explaining a number of its remarkable properties. The mathematical model is presented as a nonlinear dynamic system with self-organized criticality in the form of a selective neural network with selective neurons-nuclei. The substantiation is given for the representation of the thalamus as a system with self-organized criticality due to the fact that the thalamus is a controlled self-oscillatory relaxation system near the excitation threshold of relaxation oscillations in the presence of a stabilizing nonlinear negative feedback. Computational experiments of a mathematical model of the thalamus have been carried out, which have shown that the thalamus has the properties of cognitive processing of incoming sensory information, distribution, selective and amplifying properties. The responses of the mathematical model to subthreshold stimulation were studied, which showed the relevance of the mathematical model to the responses of a neuronal cell in real physiological conditions. The comparison of the properties of the mathematical model with the real properties of the excitability of a neuron in real conditions of a physiological experiment is given. The relevance of the mathematical model for the presence of relay, selective and amplifying properties for sensor signals is shown.