ELSC Seminar Series

The critical brain hypothesis suggests that the human brain operates near a critical transition point between two distinct dynamical states, an optimal zone thought to enhance information representation and processing efficiency. Within this regime, sub-critical dynamics result in the premature cessation of activity propagation, while super-critical dynamics can lead to excessive excitation, often manifesting as seizures or hallucinations. The presentation will explore the computational benefits of criticality and present empirical evidence supporting this hypothesis, including critical slowing down and the phenomenon of neuronal avalanches—spatiotemporal activity cascades characterized by a power-law size distribution. We will further discuss how measures of critical brain dynamics might serve as potential neuromarkers for various neurological disorders, and examine the application of these neuromarkers in the context of conditions such as epilepsy, prolonged wakefulness, and disorders of consciousness. Finally, the presentation will introduce the ConCrit framework, which proposes critical brain dynamics as a unifying framework for theories of consciousness.