Holistic structure of neural pathways underlies brain perceptual rivalry: Physical mechanism of auditory stream segregation

Abstract

Brain perceptual rivalry, exemplified by auditory stream segregation of competing tones (A_, B__, ABA_), serves as a core mechanism of brain perception formation. While increasingly recognized as determining by neural connections rather than specific neural groups, the mechanism of brain perception remains uncertain. We demonstrate that auditory stream segregation arises from the topological structure of holistic neural pathways. By constructing a holistic pathway model using existing neurophysiological data, combining nonlinear neural dynamics and nonequilibrium physics, we uncover the biophysical mechanism of perceptual phase transitions from integrated (ABA_) to segregated streams (A_ or B_), as well as the mechanism of temporal dynamics, perceptual switching path, and attention regulation underlying these transitions. Further, we demonstrate how our framework reveals energy consumption of the auditory system and combines it with neuroelectrophysiology. Two psycho-acoustic experiments validate our predictions of perception alternation and attention modulation. Our framework provides a transformative perspective on how brain networks generate complex perceptual experiences, emphasizing the significance of neural pathway structure in the process of brain function realization.