Banca de DEFESA: GABRIEL MORENO CUNHA

Uma banca de DEFESA de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : GABRIEL MORENO CUNHA
DATE: 15/09/2025
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Plataforma Google Meet
TITLE:

From Neuron to Nervous Tissue: The Impact Scales of Neuronal Ephapticity

KEY WORDS:

Ephaptic Communication. Neuronal Communication. Dynamical Systems. Electrophysiology. Diseases.

PAGES: 169
BIG AREA: Ciências Exatas e da Terra
AREA: Física
SUMMARY:

Neuronal communications are a set of biological phenomena of common interest in studies in the fields of
neuroscience and physics. One kind of neuronal communication still poorly explored by the sciences is that
produced by ephaptic coupling, which is characterised by occurring exclusively via local electric fields. This work will
present three experiments aimed at broadening our understanding of the dynamic and physiological characteristics
of ephaticity in neural networks, via the quadratic-integral-and-fire-ephatic (QIF-E) neuronal model. Therefore, different
computational experiments were performed in order to comprises different spatial resolutions. In the first
experimental setup, a neuron with cell degeneration properties was performed, and phase coupling of the ephatic
entrainment was calculated via Spike Field Coherence. In the second experiment, two neurons communicated via
synapses and ephaticity, and the Largest Lyapunov Exponent was estimated using Rosenstein’s method.
Furthermore, small-world networks with QIF-E neurons were simulated, and the average potential complexity was
obtained using the Multiscale Entropy technique. The results showed that at all levels of spatial resolution studied,
ephapticity promotes changes in neuronal behaviour when compared to the case without ephaticity. Thus, with this
doctoral study we show that mathematical modeling becomes an auxiliary component in the understanding of this
brain communication. Finally, this study proposes a physiological function of the ephaptic communication and the a
possible correlations between ephapticity and neurodegenerative diseases.

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Interno - 1379465 - GILBERTO CORSO
Presidente - 1753234 - GUSTAVO ZAMPIER DOS SANTOS LIMA
Externo à Instituição - JOSÉ GARCIA VIVAS MIRANDA - UFBA
Interno - 1294916 - MADRAS VISWANATHAN GANDHI MOHAN
Externo à Instituição - MARCELO DE MEIRA SANTOS LIMA - UFPR