Extraction and Investigation of Power Neurons in the Caenorhabditis elegans Connectome

Connectome analysis is the study of the brain's neurons and their connections (or synapses) to understand how brain regions communicate with each other and how the brain's structure affects its function. In recent years, researchers have reconstructed the complete connectomes of some organisms and have begun to analyze them in depth. One of the most studied connectomes is that of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, whose analysis has led to numerous discoveries. In this paper, we would like to make a contribution in this direction. In particular, by applying concepts and techniques of Complex Network Analysis, we want to test whether there are power neurons in this organism's connectome, i.e., neurons that are particularly important compared to the others. If so, we want to determine their characteristics and whether they form a backbone or not.