Table 1.

Interpretations of frequency metastability

	Cell assembly synchronization	Inhibitory thalamocortical bursting
Computational model	Self-organized criticality (SOC)	Tuning-dependent state transition
Physical metaphor	Avalanche (sandpile model)	Thermodynamic phase transition (e.g., water boiling into steam)
Neural mechanism	Synchronization of neural networks	Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) mediated feedforward inhibition
Cause of developmental changes	Synaptic potentiation between constituent neurons	Synaptic pruning weakening inhibitory afferents
Evidence	-Brain is far from equilibrium system -Phase resets are aperiodic -Neuronal avalanches reported in vitro -Critical state may enhance computational power of brain	-Explains anomalous phase velocities and spatiotemporal correlations of phase resets receptors in generating -Role of GABAA high frequency EEG rhythms -Possible relationship with thalamic alpha activity
Possible relevance to atypical development	-Cognitive inflexibility results from reduced ability of cell assemblies to form as neuronal avalanches	-GABAA receptor mutations associated with ASD: weakened thalamocortical inhibition