Bilateral neuron pairs had higher model coupling after direct link removal in two partial adult worm maps

We tested whether indirect electrical paths preferentially couple bilateral neuron partners in two partial adult C. elegans maps. We used 180 common neurons, 83 bilateral pairs, symmetric conductance per recorded electrical contact and equal membrane leak. At the primary leak, mean model coupling after each candidate pair had its own direct link removed was 0.012689 and 0.013282. Degree-binned alternative pairings gave means of 0.002502 and 0.003086. Each observed mean exceeded all 9,999 control draws. The four primary comparisons, including intact circuits, had adjusted Monte Carlo tail estimates of 0.0004. The excess remained at two other leak values. Five pairs supplied 39.5 and 45.6 percent of the remaining total coupling. Independent matrix calculations agreed within 1.3e-15. This is a conditional structural result under a passive model. Incomplete electrical annotation, coarse control bins, assumed leak and conductance, two selected maps and no matched activity data limit the result. It does not establish measured synchrony, reliable coding or a rule across species. Code, derived matrices, pair scores, control draws, source hashes and a figure support reproduction.

C. elegans · electrical coupling · bilateral neurons · passive circuit · indirect paths · conditional pairing controls