Temperature effects on neuronal firing rates and tonic-to-bursting transitions

Manuela Burek; Rosangela Follmann; Epaminondas Rosa

doi:10.1016/j.biosystems.2019.03.003

Temperature effects on neuronal firing rates and tonic-to-bursting transitions

Biosystems. 2019 Jun:180:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2019.03.003. Epub 2019 Mar 9.

Authors

Manuela Burek¹, Rosangela Follmann², Epaminondas Rosa³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physics, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA.
² Department of Physics, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA; School of Information Technology, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA.
³ Department of Physics, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA. Electronic address: erosa@ilstu.edu.

PMID: 30862447
DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2019.03.003

Abstract

Temperature fluctuations can affect neurological processes at a variety of levels, with the overall output that higher temperatures in general increase neuronal activity. While variations in firing rates can happen with the neuronal system maintaining its homeostatic firing pattern of tonic firing, or bursting, changes in firing rates can also be associated with transitions between the two patterns of firing. Our computer simulations suggest a possible mechanism directly related to the shortening of the duration of the action potential for higher firing rates with temperature increase. Increased temperatures also shorten the period doubling cascade and chaos transition between tonic and burting regimes.

Keywords: Bursting; Neuron; Temperature; Tonic; Transition.

MeSH terms

Action Potentials / physiology*
Algorithms*
Animals
Computer Simulation
Humans
Models, Neurological*
Neurons / physiology*
Temperature*