Effect of ion channel random blocking on the spatiotemporal dynamics of neuronal network

Abstract

Ion channels in the membrane of neuron can be blocked by some toxic chemicals. Blocking ion channels will reduce the conductivity and the number of activated channels, and affect the electrical activity of neurons. And then the spatiotemporal patterns of neuronal network would be changed. In this paper, the nearest-neighbor coupled Hodgkin-Huxley neuronal network with periodic boundary is adapted to the investigation of the evolution of spatiotemporal patterns of neuronal network when the sodium and potassium ion channels are blocked randomly, by using numerical method. The results indicate that sodium ion and potassium ion channel random blockage could lead to the breakup of spiral wave. Furthermore, we analyze the firing probability of neuronal network and find that sodium ion channel random blockage reduces the excitability of neuronal network, which is sensitive to noise; but potassium ion channel random blockage enhances the excitability of neuronal network. Compared with uniform blockage of ion channels, the random blockage of ion channels makes neuronal network have rich dynamics phenomena. Finally, the no-flux boundary condition is applied and the results are similar to the above ones.