From homeostasis to behavior: Balanced activity in an exploration of embodied dynamic environmental-neural interaction

A simple computational model of spontaneous neural dynamics controlling an agent in a virtual environment shows that brain-environment feedback can rapidly destabilize neural and behavioral dynamics, requiring homeostatic mechanisms. Local homeostatic plasticity, where inhibition adjusts to balance excitation, and global mechanisms, where regional task-negative activity compensates for task-positive sensory input in another region, both stabilize behavior. The results suggest complementary functional roles for local and macroscale homeostatic processes and propose a novel function for macroscopic task-negative activity patterns, such as the default mode network, in maintaining stable neural and behavioral dynamics.

Study at a glance

Abstract

In recent years, there have been many computational simulations of spontaneous neural dynamics. Here, we describe a simple model of spontaneous neural dynamics that controls an agent moving in a simple virtual environment. These dynamics generate interesting brain-environment feedback interactions that rapidly destabilize neural and behavioral dynamics demonstrating the need for homeostatic mechanisms. We investigate roles for homeostatic plasticity both locally (local inhibition adjusting to balance excitatory input) as well as more globally (regional "task negative" activity that compensates for "task positive", sensory input in another region) balancing neural activity and leading to more stable behavior (trajectories through the environment). Our results suggest complementary functional roles for both local and macroscale mechanisms in maintaining neural and behavioral dynamics and a novel functional role for macroscopic "task-negative" patterns of activity (e.g., the default mode network).