Interacting biological and electronic neurons generate realistic oscillatory rhythms

Attila Szücs, Pablo Varona, Alexander R. Volkovskii, Henry D. I. Abarbanel, Mikhail I. Rabinovich, Allen I. Selverston
2000 NeuroReport  
Small assemblies of neurons such as central pattern generators (CPG) are known to express regular oscillatory ®ring patterns comprising bursts of action potentials. In contrast, individual CPG neurons isolated from the remainder of the network can generate irregular ®ring patterns. In our study of cooperative behavior in CPGs we developed an analog electronic neuron (EN) that reproduces ®ring patterns observed in lobster pyloric CPG neurons. Using a tuneable arti®cial synapse we connected the
more » ... bidirectionally to neurons of this CPG. We found that the periodic bursting oscillation of this mixed assembly depends on the strength and sign of the electrical coupling. Working with identi®ed, isolated pyloric CPG neurons whose network rhythms were impaired, the EN/biological network restored the characteristic CPG rhythm both when the EN oscillations are regular and when they are irregular.
doi:10.1097/00001756-200002280-00027 pmid:10718315 fatcat:kmace7266bgcfnqo6jwen43ahu