Dynamical Evolution of Spatiotemporal Patterns in Mammalian Middle Cortex

The spatiotemporal structure of brain oscillations are important in understanding neural function. We analyze oscillatory episodes from isotropic preparations from the middle layers of a mammalian cortex which display irregular and chaotic spatiotemporal wave activity, within which spontaneously emerge spiral and plane waves. The dimensionality of these dynamics shows a consistent decrease during the middle of these episodes, regardless of the presence of simple spiral or plane waves. It is important to define the relevant biological order parameters which govern these dynamical bifurcations.