Generalized Wilson-Cowan model with short term synaptic plasticity

TL;DR

This paper introduces a generalized Wilson-Cowan model incorporating short-term synaptic plasticity, providing a more comprehensive framework for neural population dynamics and identifying new oscillatory behaviors.

Contribution

It extends the classical Wilson-Cowan model by including synaptic resource dynamics and demonstrates convergence to the original model under certain limits.

Findings

Identification of new dynamical regimes including limit cycle oscillations

Model smoothly converges to classical Wilson-Cowan model in specific limits

Provides a simplified framework for coupled excitatory and inhibitory neuron interactions

Abstract

A generalized version of the Wilson-Cowan (WC) model is proposed which accounts for the evolution of the synaptic resources. Adiabatic elimination of the fast variables is performed to yield a simplified framework for the coupled interaction between active excitatory and inhibitory neurons. The latter model is shown to smoothly converge to the benchmark WC model, when the appropriate limit is performed. Different dynamical regimes are identified for the reduced model and commented upon with reference to the original formulation of the generalized dynamics. This includes identifying limit cycle oscillations for population of available resources.