Biology subjects

Yellin, D.

Publications and source records attributed to Yellin, D..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Pupillometry Reveals Autonomic Adjustments During Diving Reflex in Face Immersion Apnea

The human diving reflex is an innate cardiorespiratory adjustment triggered during apnea that concurrently activates both sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system to maintain physiological stability under stress. Although pupil dilation and constriction are antagonistically regulated by these branches, the effect of the diving reflex on pupil diameter oscillations, known as hippus, remains unexplored. Here, we compared hippus in healthy participants during breathing or apnea either with (Wet) or without (Dry) facial immersion in cold water. In both apneic conditions, hippus exhibited reduced power in the low-frequency band (< 0.25 Hz). Notably, during Wet apnea, we observed a reallocation of power towards higher frequencies (> 0.25 Hz) and increased entropy of fluctuations, indicating a shift in autonomic balance and greater signal complexity during the diving reflex. This pilot study highlights pupil dynamics as a sensitive and non-invasive probe of autonomic adjustments underlying the human diving reflex.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2023

Modulation of proximity to criticality enhances slow activity fluctuations during free recall

Ultra-slow fluctuations are a hallmark of spontaneous cortical activity. We examine the hypothesis that these unique dynamics arise from recurrent neuronal networks operating near a phase transition, a state characterized by critical slowing down. A further prediction of such dynamics is that a small modulation towards the critical transition should lead to specific amplification of slow fluctuations. Here, we relate this phenomenon to experimental findings using a simulation of a simple random recurrent network. Importantly, the model aligns with direct intracranial electroencephalography recordings from human visual cortex during both rest and visual free-recall, specifically replicating the observed enhancement of slow fluctuations during free recall. These simulations illuminate a simple and powerful mechanism underlying slow spontaneous fluctuations, while enabling the rapid transition between different spontaneous states. They propose that modulation towards criticality might be a universal strategy employed by cortical networks to engage in a spontaneous generative mode.

neuroscience↗