Presentation Information
[C03-04]Circadian Synchronization Induced by Heterogeneous SCN Networks: A Kuramoto Model Perspective
*Xiaoxuan Zhao1, Koichiro Uriu1 (1. Institute of Science Tokyo (Japan))
Keywords:
circadian rhythm,phase synchronization,complex network
The circadian rhythm in mammals is primarily governed by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) located in the hypothalamus. The SCN consists of two subregions: the core (ventrolateral), which is densely populated and light-sensitive, and the shell (dorsomedial), which is sparsely populated and less responsive to light. Synaptic connections from the core to the shell are significantly denser than those from the shell to the core, indicating a dominant influence of the core over the shell. Based on the structural and functional characteristics of these subregions, we construct an SCN network and propose a modified Kuramoto model to investigate circadian regulation from the perspective of phase synchronization. Our simulation results show that the order parameter is positively correlated with connection probability, coupling strength, and light intensity, but negatively correlated with the average degree within each subregion. We also explore the phenomenon of jet lag using this model and find that the speed of adjustment primarily depends on the degree of time shift and the SCN's structural features, rather than light intensity. Furthermore, we examine different types of network topologies—including all-to-all, small-world, Erdős-Rényi (ER) random, and Barabási-Albert (BA) scale-free networks—to demonstrate that network heterogeneity may provide an alternative explanation for the emergence and enhancement of circadian rhythmicity.