Neusflaring

Neusflaring is a term used in theoretical neuroscience and speculative fiction to describe a rapid, localized, self-reinforcing burst of neural or artificial neural activity that propagates as a flare through a network. In this sense, a neusflare is characterized by a quick onset, short duration, and a sharp rise in activity in a limited tissue region or subnetwork, followed by rapid decay. The phenomenon is distinguished from ordinary synchronous bursts and from pathological seizures by its transient, self-limiting nature and its dependence on network topology and modulatory state.

Proposed mechanisms involve positive feedback loops among excitatory neurons, short-term synaptic plasticity, and neuromodulatory shifts that transiently lower activation thresholds. The surrounding network’s connectivity—local clustering with limited long-range links—can support spatially localized flares without global spread. In neural network models, neusflaring often arises near a critical point between quiescence and sustained activity.

Measurement in real or simulated systems typically relies on short-lived surges in spiking rates, local field potential proxies, or energy-like metrics. In hypothetical biological contexts, researchers would look for brief, high-amplitude concentrations of activity; in imaging data, events would appear as short bursts on EEG, MEG, or fMRI.

Because neusflaring is not an established physiological phenomenon, terminology and interpretation vary. In fiction and speculative science, it serves as a device to explain sudden cognitive events or rapid state changes in a neural network.

See also: neural avalanche, criticality in neural systems, seizure, spiking neural networks, neuromorphic engineering.