Chimeras in Leaky Integrate-and-Fire Neural Networks: Effects of Reflecting Connectivities

TL;DR

This paper explores how reflecting and nonlocal connectivities in Leaky Integrate-and-Fire neural networks induce complex synchronization patterns, including chimera states, with potential implications for understanding brain hemispheric interactions.

Contribution

It demonstrates that reflecting non-local coupling in LIF networks creates novel spatial-temporal structures and coexisting domains, expanding knowledge of neural synchronization phenomena.

Findings

Non-local positive diffusive coupling leads to alternating domains with different activity levels.

Reflecting connectivity induces coexisting near-threshold and incoherent domains.

Active domains can move around the ring with velocity depending on system parameters.

Abstract

The effects of nonlocal and reflecting connectivity are investigated in coupled Leaky Integrate-and-Fire (LIF) elements, which assimilate the exchange of electrical signals between neurons. Earlier investigations have demonstrated that non-local and hierarchical network connectivity often induces complex synchronization patterns and chimera states in systems of coupled oscillators. In the LIF system we show that if the elements are non-locally linked with positive diffusive coupling in a ring architecture the system splits into a number of alternating domains. Half of these domains contain elements, whose potential stays near the threshold, while they are interrupted by active domains, where the elements perform regular LIF oscillations. The active domains move around the ring with constant velocity, depending on the system parameters. The idea of introducing reflecting non-local coupling in LIF networks originates from signal exchange between neurons residing in the two hemispheres in the brain. We show evidence that this connectivity induces novel complex spatial and temporal structures: for relatively extensive ranges of parameter values the system splits in two coexisting domains, one domain where all elements stay near-threshold and one where incoherent states develop with multileveled mean phase velocity distribution.