Network Physiology reveals relations between network topology and physiological function

TL;DR

This paper introduces a framework to analyze the complex interactions within the human body's physiological networks, revealing how network topology correlates with physiological states and adapts rapidly to changes.

Contribution

It develops a novel method to identify and characterize physiologic networks, linking network structure to function and demonstrating rapid topological reorganization during state transitions.

Findings

Physiologic states have distinct network structures.

Networks undergo quick topological changes during state transitions.

The approach enables understanding of systemic physiological interactions.

Abstract

The human organism is an integrated network where complex physiologic systems, each with its own regulatory mechanisms, continuously interact, and where failure of one system can trigger a breakdown of the entire network. Identifying and quantifying dynamical networks of diverse systems with different types of interactions is a challenge. Here, we develop a framework to probe interactions among diverse systems, and we identify a physiologic network. We find that each physiologic state is characterized by a specific network structure, demonstrating a robust interplay between network topology and function. Across physiologic states the network undergoes topological transitions associated with fast reorganization of physiologic interactions on time scales of a few minutes, indicating high network flexibility in response to perturbations. The proposed system-wide integrative approach may facilitate the development of a new field, Network Physiology.