Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Inselstraße 22, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci. 2011 Oct 13;369(1952):3697-707. doi: 10.1098/rsta.2011.0199.
'Complexity science' is a rapidly developing research direction with applications in a multitude of fields that study complex systems consisting of a number of nonlinear elements with interesting dynamics and mutual interactions. This Theme Issue 'The complexity of sleep' aims at fostering the application of complexity science to sleep research, because the brain in its different sleep stages adopts different global states that express distinct activity patterns in large and complex networks of neural circuits. This introduction discusses the contributions collected in the present Theme Issue. We highlight the potential and challenges of a complex systems approach to develop an understanding of the brain in general and the sleeping brain in particular. Basically, we focus on two topics: the complex networks approach to understand the changes in the functional connectivity of the brain during sleep, and the complex dynamics of sleep, including sleep regulation. We hope that this Theme Issue will stimulate and intensify the interdisciplinary communication to advance our understanding of the complex dynamics of the brain that underlies sleep and consciousness.
“复杂性科学”是一个快速发展的研究方向，其应用涉及多个领域，研究由多个具有有趣动力学和相互作用的非线性元素组成的复杂系统。本期特刊“睡眠的复杂性”旨在促进复杂性科学在睡眠研究中的应用，因为大脑在不同的睡眠阶段会采用不同的整体状态，在神经回路的大型和复杂网络中表现出不同的活动模式。本引言讨论了本期特刊中收录的论文。我们强调了采用复杂系统方法的潜力和挑战，以理解大脑的一般状态，特别是睡眠中的大脑。基本上，我们专注于两个主题：理解睡眠期间大脑功能连接变化的复杂网络方法，以及包括睡眠调节在内的睡眠复杂动力学。我们希望本期特刊将激发并加强跨学科交流，以增进我们对睡眠和意识的大脑复杂动力学的理解。
