Synchronous target mode decision mechanism of electrically coupled neuron system under asymmetric excitation

Abstract

Due to the universality of asymmetric coupling-excitation in neuronal system and the important role of firing pattern in neural information coding and transmission, synchronous target mode decision mechanism of electrically coupled neuron system under asymmetric excitation is studied in this paper. In the beginning, based on an asymmetric excitation system with symmetrical coupling, according to the phenomenon that Interval Spike Intervals Sequence (ISI) can coincide with the ISIs of a single neuron stimulated by a certain current, the concept of ‘virtual equivalent symmetrical stimulus current’ is put forward. Furthermore, it is also found that there is no relationship between the steady-state synchronous target mode and the coupling strength of symmetric coupled system under this situation. However, the following experiments of asymmetric coupling-excitation system show that there is a strong internal relationship between the almost complete synchronous stable firing mode and coupling strength as well as exciting currents. According to the experimental conclusion, a qualitative criterion is proposed, and then, on the basis that the system can be fully synchronized, the decision-making quantitative basis of the steady-state synchronization target mode of the given system is derived strictly. This study has important reference value for understanding the working state transition of neuronal system.