Thalamic Influence Over Adaptive Cortical Dynamics Across Conscious States
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The human brain must support both stable and flexible neural dynamics in order to adapt to changing contexts that are inherently non-linear. The thalamus has been linked to the coordination of these opposing dynamical regimens in the cerebral cortex, however existing methodological approaches have not integrated sufficient neurobiological details with a sensitive measure of neural dynamics that permits sensitivity to time-series non-linearities. Inspired by the field of fluid dynamics, we use a novel approach to show that spontaneous fMRI data exhibits non-trivial fluctuations in predictability over time, akin to a river that has sections of smooth and predictable (laminar) versus rough and unpredictable (non-laminar) fluid flow. We use a combination of pharmacological fMRI, macaque electrophysiology and a large-scale biophysical model of the thalamocortical system to provide robust evidence that the thalamus provides versatile control over globally linear dynamics in the cerebral cortex that characterize conscious states.