Solid State Neuroscience: Spiking Neural Networks as Time Matter

Abstract

We aim at building a bridge between to a priori disconnected fields: Neuroscience and Material Science. We construct an analogy based on identifying spikes events in time with the positions of particles of matter. We show that one may think of the dynamical states of spiking neurons and spiking neural networks as time-matter. Namely, a structure of spike-events in time having analogue properties to that of ordinary matter. We can define for neural systems notions equivalent to the equations of state, phase diagrams and their phase transitions. For instance, the familiar Ideal Gas Law relation (Pv = constant) emerges as analogue of the Ideal Integrate and Fire neuron model relation (Iin ISI = constant). We define the neural analogue of the spatial structure correlation function, that can characterize spiking states with temporal long-range order, such as regular tonic spiking. We also define the "neuro-compressibility"response function in analogy to the lattice compressibility. We show that similarly to the case of ordinary matter, the anomalous behavior of the neuro-compressibility is a precursor effect that signals the onset of changes in spiking states. We propose that the notion of neuro-compressibility may open the way to develop novel medical tools for the early diagnose of diseases. It may allow to predict impending anomalous neural states, such as Parkinson's tremors, epileptic seizures, electric cardiopathies, and perhaps may even serve as a predictor of the likelihood of regaining consciousness.