Telecommunication-inspired network models of healthy and diseased brains

Recent advances in nanoelectronics have spurred increased interest in the human brain and its complex functions. Numerous studies have explored brain behavior in varying levels of detail, from individual neurons to entire lobes. Intricately structured, the brain is a complex organ susceptible to diseases that may disrupt the connectivity between its internal regions. Investigating this phenomenon, the present study applies a discrete finite-state model to map the behavior of neurons within a neuronal agglomerate and examine the effect of disease on these behaviors. Each agglomerate is then compared to a wireless clustered network and modeled as a finite-state system, with inter-cluster communications analyzed under conditions of temporal variations and degradation. This work represents one of the most advanced applications of discrete finite-state processes and routing theory in brain modeling.