Noise-induced synchronization in bidirectionally coupled type-I neurons

TL;DR

This study investigates how noise influences synchronization in coupled type-I neurons, revealing critical noise levels for synchronization and how input and coupling affect firing patterns and bifurcations.

Contribution

It demonstrates the role of noise in inducing synchronization and modulating firing patterns in bidirectionally coupled type-I neurons, highlighting the dependence on coupling and input parameters.

Findings

Critical noise strength induces synchronization.

Noise delays bifurcation in excitatory neurons.

Synchronization behavior varies with input and coupling type.

Abstract

We present here some studies on noise-induced order and synchronous firing in a system of bidirectionally coupled generic type-I neurons. We find that transitions from unsynchronized to completely synchronized states occur beyond a critical value of noise strength that has a clear functional dependence on neuronal coupling strength and input values. For an inhibitory-excitatory (IE) synaptic coupling, the approach to a partially synchronized state is shown to vary qualitatively depending on whether the input is less or more than a critical value. We find that introduction of noise can cause a delay in the bifurcation of the firing pattern of the excitatory neuron for IE coupling.