A unifying framework for dynamic cortico-hippocampal Interactions

Understanding how large-scale brain activity emerges from anatomy remains a central challenge spanning neuroscience and computational physics. Existing models capture selected aspects of brain activity without incorporating the critical role of geometry in shaping neural dynamics. We address this limitation through two key developments. First, we introduce a geometry-aware neural field framework that integrates biophysical realism with the curved geometry of brain surfaces. The validity of this framework is tested by reproducing two canonical rhythms observed in empirical neuroimaging data: cortical alpha and hippocampal theta. Second, a topology-preserving mapping is developed to link the geometrically distinct cortical and hippocampal surfaces into a coupled dynamical system. Weak coupling yields spatially precise cortico-hippocampal correlations consistent with neuroimaging data from healthy participants. Increasing the excitation in this coupled cortico-hippocampal system induces seizure-like dynamics, offering a mechanistic explanation for the hippocampus's frequent involvement in epileptic seizures. Together, these results establish a framework that integrates geometry, dynamics, and a biophysical system architecture across both healthy and pathological brain states. By integrating anatomical structure with dynamic modeling, this framework provides a computational basis for probing the mechanisms underlying large-scale brain function and dysfunction.