Criticality supports cross-frequency cortical-thalamic information transfer during conscious states.
eLife January 5, 2024 Daniel Toker, Eli Müller, Hiroyuki Miyamoto et al. 21 citations
Bidirectional communication between the cortex and thalamus via a specific cross-frequency channel is linked to conscious states. In humans, mice, and rats, low-frequency waves (1–13 Hz) sent from either the cortex or thalamus are consistently encoded by the other region using high gamma waves (52–104 Hz). This cross-frequency communication is diminished during propofol-induced unconsciousness and generalized spike-and-wave seizures, but enhanced by the psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT. Numerical simulations and neural recordings suggest these changes are mediated by shifts in thalamocortical electrodynamics toward or away from edge-of-chaos criticality, offering a mathematical framework for disrupted information transfer during unconsciousness.