Correlation of action potentials in adjacent neurons

TL;DR

This paper explores ephaptic coupling as a mechanism for neuron synchronization, proposing a model that estimates the distance scale for correlated action potentials and discusses experimental verification.

Contribution

It introduces a novel model linking ephaptic coupling to salutatory conduction, providing a method to estimate neuron correlation distances.

Findings

Ephaptic coupling can synchronize adjacent neurons' action potentials.

The model estimates the spatial scale for neuron synchronization.

Discussion of potential experimental tests for the model.

Abstract

A possible mechanism for the synchronization of action potential propagation along a bundle of neurons (ephaptic coupling) is considered. It is shown that this mechanism is similar to the salutatory conduction of the action potential between the nodes of Ranvier in myelinated axons. The proposed model allows us to estimate the scale of the correlation, i.e., the distance between neurons in the nervous tissue, wherein their synchronization becomes possible. The possibility for experimental verification of the proposed model of synchronization is discussed.