Mathematics Colloquia and Seminars

Return to Colloquia & Seminar listing

Neurons communicate via both chemical synapses (pulse coupling) and electrical synapses (diffusive coupling). Electrical coupling is less well understood, although typically assumed to synchronize. Many cell types with strong electrical coupling have also been shown to exhibit resonant properties that strongly affect subthreshold voltage dynamics (between spikes). Using the theory of weakly coupled oscillators, I explore the effect of subthreshold resonance on synchrony in small networks of electrically coupled resonate-and-fire neurons. This model is a hybrid dynamical system, combining continuous (subthreshold) and discrete (spiking) dynamics, a modeling approach that presents unique challenges and advantages in the analysis. I show that both spikes and resonant subthreshold fluctuations can jointly promote synchronization, and also discuss complex effects on synchrony in the presence of network asymmetry that are often missed in simpler oscillator models.