Triggering up states in all-to-all coupled neurons

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simple discrete-time neural network model that replicates the bistable Up/Down states observed in cortical activity during sleep, including the ability to switch Up states on and off with pulses.

Contribution

The authors present a novel discrete-time neural network model that captures the experimentally observed bistability and pulse-dependent switching of cortical Up states.

Findings

Model reproduces experimentally observed Up/Down state bistability.

Switching of Up states depends on pulse timing, matching experimental data.

The model provides insights into sleep-related cortical dynamics.

Abstract

Slow-wave sleep in mammalians is characterized by a change of large-scale cortical activity currently paraphrased as cortical Up/Down states. A recent experiment demonstrated a bistable collective behaviour in ferret slices, with the remarkable property that the Up states can be switched on and off with pulses, or excitations, of same polarity; whereby the effect of the second pulse significantly depends on the time interval between the pulses. Here we present a simple time discrete model of a neural network that exhibits this type of behaviour, as well as quantitatively reproduces the time-dependence found in the experiments.