Shifting attention to dynamics: Self-reconfiguration of neural networks

In recent years, considerable evidence has accrued indicating that brain function can be flexibly reconfigured on the fly: many brain areas are capable of carrying out a variety of distinct functions and are able to switch between those functions in a context-sensitive, dynamic fashion. Some evidence has also emerged that ongoing brain activity, the ceaseless background brain dynamics, may be implicated in setting and controlling these flexible functions as well as attentional gain. A crucial link between them is dynamics. Here we review both the accumulating evidence as well as propose a theoretical outline of dynamical mechanisms for functional self-reconfiguration of neural networks, including reconfiguration of logic function, reconfiguration of information routing, and poising at critical points to switch dynamics.