Neuron cascade may be akin to neutral selection in evolution

Enlarge / Brain made of cables of different colors and plug (credit: Miguel Navarro / Getty Images)

“I am sorry, but your brain suffers from avalanches” is a diagnosis that should be a thing. The cure should involve a St. Bernard digging neurons out from under piles of neurotransmitter. Unfortunately, everyone’s brain suffers from avalanches. Indeed I can safely diagnose anyone who does not suffer from avalanches as dead. (And you thought the barriers to graduate school were intellectual?).

An avalanche in the brain is basically a small, generally inconspicuous event that triggers a massive cascade of neuronal activity. These are observed to occur without any external triggers.

So  why do they occur? It has been thought that these avalanches should confer some sort of benefit, but new research suggests that it might just be a noisy accident.