Eur. Phys. J. Special Topics 227, 1039–1049 (2018)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2018-800037-y

Regular Article

Multilayer adaptive networks in neuronal processing

Centro de Investigación Operativa, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Av. de la Universidad s/n, 03202 Elche, Spain

^a e-mail: jm.amigo@umh.es

Received: 31 March 2018
Received in final form: 28 June 2018
Published online: 12 December 2018

Abstract

The connectome is a wiring diagram mapping all the neural connections in the brain. At the cellular level, it provides a map of the neurons and synapses within a part or all of the brain of an organism. In recent years, significant advances have been made in the study of the connectome via network science and graph theory. This analysis is fundamental to understand neurotransmission (fast synaptic transmission) networks. However, neurons use other forms of communication as neuromodulation that, instead of conveying excitation or inhibition, change neuronal and synaptic properties. This additional neuromodulatory layers condition and reconfigure the connectome. In this paper, we propose that multilayer adaptive networks, in which different synaptic and neurochemical layers interact, are the appropriate framework to explain neuronal processing. Then, we describe a simplified multilayer adaptive network model that accounts for these extra-layers of interaction and analyse the emergence of interesting computational capabilities.