Critical Scaling of Novelty in the Cortex

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Abstract
The ability to detect and transmit novel events is essential for adaptive behavior in uncertain environments. Here, we investigate how holographically triggered, unanticipated action potentials propagate through the primary visual cortex of resting mice, focusing on pyramidal neuron communication. We find that these novel spikes — uncorrelated with ongoing activity — exert a disproportionately large influence on neighboring neurons, whose response scales as a power law (exponent ∼0.2–0.3). Even a few such spikes can recruit a large fraction of the local network, enabling robust decoding of perturbation origin despite high trial-by-trial variability and ongoing activity dominated by large activity fluctuations in the form of scale-invariant, parabolic neuronal avalanches. Simulations confirm this scaling to small, local perturbations aligns with the high susceptibility of complex systems near criticality. These results suggest that critical dynamics facilitate efficient transmission of novel signals, revealing a fundamental mechanism for cortical novelty detection.
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Funding Information
  • Division of the Intramural Research Program (DIRP) of the National Institute of Mental Health (ZIAMH002797)
  • Division of the Intramural Research Program (DIRP) of the National Institute of Mental Health (ZIAMH002971)
  • Brain Initiative Grant (U19 NS107464-01)

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