Strong and localized recurrence controls the dimensionality of neural activity across brain areas

Nature Neuroscience, Published online: 19 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41593-026-02395-w

Brain activity is complex but not arbitrary, and some patterns dominate others, with dimensionality describing how many such patterns exist. The authors show how brain connectivity controls dimensionality, allowing complexity to vary across time and behavior.