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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.09.26.678711

Dynamical models reveal distance to criticality in ageing brain dynamics.

Sharma, V.·Drost, B. J. N. M.·Tiesinga, P. H. E.
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Abstract

Understanding how the brain changes with age remains a central question in neuroscience. Here, we combine magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings from young and older adults with a whole-brain dynamical model to explore how brain dynamics evolve across the lifespan. Using a network of coupled Stuart-Landau oscillators constrained by empirical structural connectivity, we systematically vary three model parameters to identify the settings that best reproduce alpha-band features observed in MEG data. Our findings reveal age-related shifts in these model parameters: older individuals exhibit stronger global coupling and more positive values of the bifurcation parameter, consistent with a transition to a supercritical regime. These results align with prior work suggesting altered excitation-inhibition balance in ageing and indicate a systematic reconfiguration of whole-brain dynamics. By situating empirical observations within a dynamical systems framework, this study provides a principled approach for quantifying the brains distance to criticality and lays the groundwork for future clinical applications. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=113 SRC="FIGDIR/small/678711v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (25K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@248e37org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1f4bf00org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@127d894org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@fbdd23_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

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Sharma, V., Drost, B. J. N. M., Tiesinga, P. H. E.. 2025-09-28. Dynamical models reveal distance to criticality in ageing brain dynamics.. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.26.678711

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