Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: GABRIEL MORENO CUNHA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : GABRIEL MORENO CUNHA
DATE: 16/08/2024
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Plataforma Google Meet
TITLE:

Hybrid Modeling of Neuronal Ephapticity

KEY WORDS:

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

PAGES: 178
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-disparate-ephatic (QIF-E) neuronal model. Therefore, different computational
experiments were performed in order to cover 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 functioning of the ephaptic
communication and its probable correlations with neurodegenerative diseases.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Interno - 1753234 - GUSTAVO ZAMPIER DOS SANTOS LIMA
Externo à Instituição - JOSÉ GARCIA VIVAS MIRANDA - UFBA
Interno - 1294916 - MADRAS VISWANATHAN GANDHI MOHAN
Externo à Instituição - SERGIO R. LOPES - UFPR