Researchers from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, and IIT Bhubaneswar developed a chaos-driven dynamical systems approach for schizophrenia research in 2026. The study used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) signals to examine brain network dysfunction and synchronisation patterns in schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia and Brain Imaging
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder associated with disturbances in thought, perception, emotion, and behaviour. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging is a neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity when a person is not performing a task. It is used to study functional connectivity between different brain regions.
Chaos Theory in Medical Research
Chaos theory studies complex systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions. In this research, a specially designed chaotic dynamical system was used to analyse how brain activity evolves over time and responds to treatment. The framework was developed through collaboration across psychiatry, chemistry, materials engineering, electronics engineering, and high-performance computing.
Chaotic Dynamics Marker and U-KBBC
The study introduced a Chaotic Dynamics Marker (CDM) for assessing disease recovery and supporting personalised treatment strategies. It also developed a dynamical system named U-KBBC, which generates an attractor pattern called Sudarshan. An attractor is a mathematical state towards which a dynamical system tends to evolve.
Clinical and Research Applications
The research found that beyond a certain threshold, some treatments may have opposite effects on brain excitation. A joint patent has been filed by IIT Bhubaneswar and NIMHANS for the innovation, and larger validation studies are in progress. The chaos-based dynamical framework is also being explored for depression, epilepsy, cancer, and cardiovascular disorders. rs-fMRI, CDM, and U-KBBC are key terms linked to this research.
Last Modified: April 29, 2026