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Effects of spatial constraints of inhibitory connectivity on the dynamical development of criticality in spiking networks.

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Title: Effects of spatial constraints of inhibitory connectivity on the dynamical development of criticality in spiking networks.
Authors: Kern FB; International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan., Date T; Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan., Chao ZC; International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Source: PLoS computational biology [PLoS Comput Biol] 2026 Oct 01; Vol. 22 (10), pp. e1014798. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Oct 01 (Print Publication: 2026).
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Public Library of Science Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101238922 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1553-7358 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 1553734X NLM ISO Abbreviation: PLoS Comput Biol Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: San Francisco, CA : Public Library of Science, [2005]-
MeSH Terms: Action Potentials*/physiology , Nerve Net*/physiology , Models, Neurological*, Synapses/physiology ; Neuronal Plasticity/physiology ; Neurons/physiology ; Neural Inhibition/physiology ; Synaptic Transmission/physiology ; Animals ; Computational Biology ; Computer Simulation ; Humans
Abstract: Neural systems are hypothesized to operate near criticality, enhancing their capacity for optimal information processing, transmission and storage capabilities. Criticality has typically been studied in spiking neural networks and related systems organized in random or full connectivity, with the balance of excitation and inhibition being a key determinant of the critical point of the system. However, given that neurons in the brain are spatially distributed, with their distances significantly influencing connectivity and signal timing, it is unclear how the spatial organization of excitatory and inhibitory connectivity influences the network's development towards criticality. Here, we systematically constrain the distance and density of inhibitory connectivity in two-dimensional spiking networks and allow synaptic weights to develop with activity-dependent excitatory and inhibitory plasticity in the presence of a low level of stochastic intrinsic activity. We then investigate the relationship between inhibitory connectivity, synaptic weights, and the resulting network activity during and after development. We find that networks with longer-range inhibitory synapses tend towards more supercritical behavior compared to networks with a similar number of shorter-range inhibitory synapses. We show that this distance dependence is a consequence of weaker long-range synapses after development due to the presence of synaptic delays, which shift most spike pairs outside of the potentiation window of the inhibitory learning rule.
(Copyright: © 2026 Kern et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
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Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20261001 Date Completed: 20261007 Latest Revision: 20261009
Update Code: 20261009
PubMed Central ID: PMC13645236
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014798
PMID: 42821632
Database: MEDLINE
Description
ISSN:1553-7358
DOI:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014798