Representability of wireless and non-synaptic signaling in molecular imaging

Determine which wireless and non-synaptic signaling modalities—including diffusion-based volume transmission, astrocytic coupling, vascular coupling, immune interactions, and extracellular space properties—are reflected in molecular imaging data, and quantify how much of these effects can be utilized to inform parameter inference by an ultrastructure-to-dynamics compiler.

Background

Non-synaptic signaling processes may contribute substantially to neural dynamics but may not be directly visible or quantifiable in standard molecular imaging workflows.

Establishing which components of such signaling are captured by imaging and to what extent they can inform compiled parameters is necessary for assessing the completeness and accuracy of structure-to-function predictions.

References

Diffusion, volume transmission, astrocytes, vascular coupling, immune effects, and extracellular space properties may be essential, but it is unknown how many of these effects would be reflected in molecular imaging.

— Compiling molecular ultrastructure into neural dynamics  (2603.25713 - Kording et al., 26 Mar 2026) in Appendix 1: potential limitations — Modeling and scaling limits (Wireless and non-synaptic signaling can be difficult)

The physical identity of such carriers in living animals remains unknown and requires direct experimental investigation. The hypothesis could be tested by perturbing candidate carriers while controlling the measured realized neural state and subsequent input, and then determining whether later responses change in the predicted manner.

— Causal-fate dynamics of unrealized influence  (2610.11422 - Liu et al., 8 Oct 2026) in Section 3.3, “Selective inter-neuronal realization sustains propagation in a connectome-constrained neural model”