iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Eli Müller @elimuller.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

The picture that emerges: core thalamus acts as a stable feed-forward propagator, while diffuse matrix thalamus loosens that linear flow. This fits our earlier work, where matrix ‘heats up’ the cortex pushing it toward quasi-critical states. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.com

Diffuse neural coupling mediates complex network dynamics through the formation of quasi-critical brain states - Nature Communications

A principle of neuroanatomy, namely diffuse connectivity, is modeled using a large-scale network of corticothalamic neural masses. We demonstrate that increases in diffuse coupling transition the...

100

Eli Müller @elimuller.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

To test causality, we teamed up with the Saalmann Lab. 50 Hz stimulation of the matrix-rich central lateral thalamus in anaesthetised macaques restored awake-like unpredictability. When stimulation stopped, linearity came back

100

Eli Müller @elimuller.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Finally the thalamus. We projected thalamic BOLD onto the core (PVALB) to matrix (CALB1) gene-expression gradient. Core-biased thalamic epochs were followed by more predictable cortex. Matrix-biased epochs were followed by departures from it.

100

Eli Müller @elimuller.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Next, consciousness is turned down. Under propofol, the cortex becomes more linearly predictable, in both fMRI and EEG, and the sharp departures from linearity largely disappear. In EEG, the difference sits at alpha-band (~10Hz) timescales.

100

Eli Müller @elimuller.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Dynamic mode decomposition of the linear model shows what's driving this: a set of slow, sustained spatiotemporal modes that neither surrogate reproduces.

100

Eli Müller @elimuller.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Awake human fMRI fluctuates irregularly between high/low linear predictability. It is more predictable than time-shuffled data but less than phase-randomised data which destroys high-order (non-linear?) structure. So, covariance plus the power spectrum isn't enough to explain it

100

Eli Müller @elimuller.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

To find out, we developed Linear Forecast Analysis (LFA). We fit one global linear model to a recording, forecast forward from every time point, and track the error. Flat horizon = linear flow. Spikes = the brain departing from it.

100

Eli Müller @elimuller.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Many natural systems are linear only some of the time. A pendulum is linear for small swings but not large ones. A fluid flows smoothly near a wall but is turbulent elsewhere. So we asked: when is the brain linear, and who decides?

100

Eli Müller @elimuller.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Rivers, pendulums and the thalamus: how the brain balances stable and flexible dynamics, and what changes when consciousness fades. Our latest journey into how the thalamus is shaping cortical dynamics in @ScienceAdvances 🧵1/10 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

science.org

Thalamic modulation of cortical linearity across arousal states

The human brain must support both stable and flexible neural dynamics to adapt to changing contexts. The thalamus has been hypothesized to coordinate these opposing dynamical regimes in the cerebral c...

121

Reposted by Eli Müller

Ben Fulcher @bendfulcher.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

New preprint from Kieran: We introduce a new data-driven method, feature-based slow feature analysis (f-SFA), to track non-stationarity from time-series data (with no generative model). It beats benchmarks on chaotic systems and tracks sleep depth continuously from EEG. arxiv.org/abs/2609.01651

1134

Reposted by Eli Müller

James Pang @jchrispang.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Such a fun @ohbmofficial.bsky.social symposium on “Bridging species and scales”!! Was great to see a packed room. Thanks @k4tj4.bsky.social @JustineHansen @elimuller.bsky.social for joining 😁 #OHBM2026

0235

Eli Müller @elimuller.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

Very grateful to @thetransmitter.bsky.social for including me in their Rising Stars of Neuroscience 2025 alongside some really inspiring scientists. Check out the link to see some of their cool work 🧠✨ www.thetransmitter.org/early-career...

thetransmitter.org

The Transmitter’s Rising Stars of Neuroscience 2025

We recognize the outstanding achievements of 25 neuroscientists who stand to shape the field for years to come.

0135