Routes to synchronization in structural brain networks of healthy individuals

Xiaojian Xi, Rui Yang, Peijun Zhang, Huaigu Tian and Xiaogang Liu

Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, 2025, vol. 201, issue P1

Abstract: Understanding how synchronization emerges in brain networks is vital for revealing the mechanisms underlying information processing in the human brain. This study investigates the routes to synchronization in the structural brain networks of 100 healthy individuals using diffusion-weighted imaging data. Unlike prior studies that have primarily focused on synchronization stability or functional dynamics, this research is the first to predict the full sequence of synchronization cluster formation in structural brain networks of healthy individuals. A spectral method based on the Laplacian of the group-level structural connectivity matrix is used to predict the sequence of synchronization cluster formation that leads to global synchronization. These predictions are then validated through simulations of the average structural network using the Hindmarsh-Rose neuronal model. The results indicate that synchronization first emerges in occipital regions—particularly between the Cuneus and Pericalcarine cortices—and then propagates hierarchically toward central and frontal areas. A notable bilateral symmetry is observed in the synchronization process, underscoring coordinated interhemispheric interactions. The predicted clusters exhibit approximate synchronization at the corresponding coupling strengths, supporting the accuracy of the Laplacian-based prediction method. Overall, the findings suggest that synchronization in healthy brain networks follows a systematic and symmetric transition pattern, beginning in early sensory areas and extending to regions involved in higher-order cognitive functions. This study presents a framework for analyzing synchronization transitions that is driven by structural connectivity, eliminating the need for extensive dynamical simulations. It offers insights that may aid future investigations into neurological and psychiatric conditions.

Keywords: Structural brain network; Synchronization transition; Cluster synchronization; Diffusion-weighted imaging; Hindmarsh-Rose neuronal model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:chsofr:v:201:y:2025:i:p1:s0960077925012056

DOI: 10.1016/j.chaos.2025.117192

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