Effect of chemical synapse on vibrational resonance in coupled neurons

Chaos. 2009 Mar;19(1):013117. doi: 10.1063/1.3076396.

Abstract

The response of three coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo neurons, under high-frequency driving, to a subthreshold low-frequency signal is investigated. We show that an optimal amplitude of the high-frequency driving enhances the response of coupled excited neurons to a subthreshold low-frequency input, and the chemical synaptic coupling is more efficient than the well-known electrical coupling (gap junction), especially when the coupled neurons are near the canard regime, for local signal input, i.e., only one of the three neurons is subject to a low-frequency signal. The influence of additive noise and the interplay between vibrational and stochastic resonance are also analyzed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials / physiology
  • Animals
  • Brain / physiology
  • Computer Simulation*
  • Gap Junctions / physiology
  • Humans
  • Membrane Potentials / physiology
  • Models, Neurological
  • Models, Statistical
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Nerve Net / physiology
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Stochastic Processes
  • Synapses
  • Synaptic Transmission / physiology*