Neural Dynamic Barcoding for Cortical State Transition Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods fail to effectively quantify and visualize the temporal structure of stereotyped activity motifs in brain function, making it difficult to monitor changes in brain activity resulting from pathological processes.

Innovation Solution

A method of generating and comparing Markovian neural barcodes by acquiring spatiotemporal data from a subject's brain, registering it to a predetermined anatomical reference, clustering frames into discrete states, estimating transition probabilities, and constructing a neural barcode to visualize and assess changes in cortical dynamics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If functional connectomes are used to represent brain activity, then large-scale brain activity can be described, but temporal dynamics are lost and many different dynamical processes lead to identical representations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemporal structure informationVSAvoidcomplexity of representing brain activity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the continuous temporal signal into discrete stereotyped motifs (recurrent activity patterns). By identifying and segmenting these recurring temporal patterns, the method preserves temporal structure while creating a manageable discrete representation that can be analyzed without losing dynamic information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary representation called the dynamic barcode, which acts as a mediator between the raw temporal signals and the functional connectome. This barcode encodes temporal sequence information as a discrete symbol sequence, preserving temporal dynamics while enabling comparison across different brain states and conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If time is collapsed in behavioral experiments to simplify analysis, then behavioral patterns can be quantified, but the temporal sequence and dynamics of behavior are lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of behavioral analysisVSAvoidtemporal sequence information

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by creating a representation that explicitly encodes temporal sequence. The dynamic barcode is constructed from the sequence of motif occurrences, preserving the temporal order and transitions between different activity patterns, thereby maintaining dynamic information while enabling systematic analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Measurement precision

If conventional methods are used to monitor brain activity changes, then disease progression can be tracked, but subtle changes in temporal structure of brain activity cannot be detected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprecision of detecting brain activity changesVSAvoidcomplexity of analysis method

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a simplified copy or model of the complex temporal dynamics through the dynamic barcode. This barcode is a discrete symbolic representation that captures the essential temporal structure of brain activity, making it easier to detect subtle changes while maintaining the key dynamic features of the original signals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS12471829B2Neural spatiotemporal dynamic barcoding and methods of assessing changes in cortical dynamics using the same

Publication Date: 2025.11.18 UTI LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

AI summary

Methods of generating, visualizing and comparing Markovian neural barcodes mesoscale cortical spatiotemporal data are provided.