Conceptually and structurally simple mathematical models of coupled oscillator networks can show a rich variety of complex dynamics, providing fundamental insights into many real-world phenomena.A recent and not yet fully understood example is the collapse of coexisting synchronous and synchronous oscillations into a globally synchronous motion found in networks of identical oscillators. Here we show that this sudden collapse is promoted by a further decrease of synchronization, rather than by critically high synchronization. This strikingly counterintuitive mechanism can be found also in nature, as we demonstrate on epileptic seizures in humans. Analyzing spatiotemporal correlation profiles derived from intracranial electroencephalographic recordings (EEG) of seizures in epilepsy patients, we found a pronounced decrease of correlation at the seizure onsets. Applying our findings in a closed-loop control scheme to models of coupled oscillators in chimera states, we succeed in both provoking and preventing outbreaks of global synchronization. Our findings not only advance the understanding of networks of coupled dynamics but can open new ways to control them, thus offering a vast range of potential new applications.

The authors are grateful to Ernest Montbrió and Arkady Pikovsky for useful discussion. R.G.A. and F.M. acknowledge funding from the Volkswagen foundation. R.G.A was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Grant FIS2014-54177-R). This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 642563 (R.G.A.). F.M. acknowledges support from the German Research Council (DFG, MO 930/4-1 and SFB 1089) and the European Commission (FP7 602102 EPITARGET). K.S. and C.R. are grateful for support by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Projects No. SNF 320030_122010, No. 33CM30-140332, No. 32003B_155950).