Synchronization with mismatched synaptic delays: A unique role of elastic neuronal latency

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that increasing neuronal response latency acts as a mechanism for neuronal synchronization without the need for precisely matched synaptic delays, revealing a new cortical timescale based on delay loop stretching.

Contribution

It introduces a novel mechanism where neuronal latency stretching facilitates synchronization, challenging the traditional view requiring exact synaptic delay matching.

Findings

Neuronal response latency increases serve as a delay stretching mechanism.

Synchronization occurs as a transient phenomenon without precise delay matching.

A new cortical timescale based on microsecond delay stretching is identified.

Abstract

We show that the unavoidable increase in neuronal response latency to ongoing stimulation serves as a nonuniform gradual stretching of neuronal circuit delay loops and emerges as an essential mechanism in the formation of various types of neuronal timers. Synchronization emerges as a transient phenomenon without predefined precise matched synaptic delays. These findings are described in an experimental procedure where conditioned stimulations were enforced on a circuit of neurons embedded within a large-scale network of cortical cells in-vitro, and are corroborated by neuronal simulations. They evidence a new cortical timescale based on tens of microseconds stretching of neuronal circuit delay loops per spike, and with realistic delays of a few milliseconds, synchronization emerges for a finite fraction of neuronal circuit delays.