Critical behavior near a phase transition between retrieval and non-retrieval regimes in a LIF network with spatiotemporal patterns

Abstract

We study the associative memory dynamics of a network of spiking integrate and fire neurons with Poisson noise. We introduce an order-parameter, and we study the critical regime at the transition between the region of persistent replay of stored patterns and the region of noreply. At critical spiking threshold the order parameter fluctuations are maximized, as expected for a phase transition. Moreover we also found that, at the critical point, the avalanche size and duration distributions follow power laws. In conclusion our simple model suggests that avalanche power laws in cortical spontaneous activity may be the effect of a network at the critical point between successful associative memory regime and no-retrieval regime.