Why Decussate? Topological Constraints on 3D Wiring

TL;DR

This paper investigates how topological constraints influence the wiring of 3D neural systems, revealing that decussated arrangements are more error-resistant than non-crossing schemes, which has implications for biological and artificial network design.

Contribution

It introduces a topological framework demonstrating that decussation enhances wiring robustness in 3D networks, offering insights into biological evolution and network engineering.

Findings

Decussated wiring schemes are more robust against errors than non-crossing schemes.

Topological constraints predict wiring patterns for robust 3D networks.

Results have implications for designing resilient biological and artificial neural systems.

Abstract

Many vertebrate motor and sensory systems decussate, or cross the midline to the opposite side of the body. The successful crossing of millions of axons during development requires a complex of tightly controlled regulatory processes. Because these processes have evolved in many distinct systems and organisms, it seems reasonable to presume that decussation confers a significant functional advantage. Yet if this is so, the nature of this advantage is not understood. In this article, we examine constraints imposed by topology on the ways that a three-dimensional processor and environment can be wired together in a continuous, somatotopic, way. We show that as the number of wiring connections grows, decussated arrangements become overwhelmingly more robust against wiring errors than seemingly simpler same-sided wiring schemes. These results provide a predictive approach for understanding how 3D networks must be wired if they are to be robust, and therefore have implications both for future large-scale computational networks and for complex bio-medical devices