Neuronal functional diversity and collective behaviors: a scientific case

Abstract

A major issue in today's neuroscience is how the brain complex and highly flexible organization emerges from its individual components. Robustness of neuronal properties with weak linkages between regulatory processes are suggested to account for the adaptive, tunable, multistable dynamics, the coding schemes and the complexity of neuronal functional (sub)systems. Interneurons and neurotransmitter diversity, resonance phenomena due to properties of the cell or network, time/frequency-dependent activation of dedicated neuronal assemblies, code- and frequency-specific oscillations interact in determining the brain functional setup and operations. Despite the scientific relevance, comprehensive theories are not yet available, but the scenario--however incomplete and incompletely characterized--is promising and warrants further investigation.