Complex evolution of spike patterns during burst propagation through feed-forward networks

Abstract Stable signal transmission is crucial for information processing by the brain. Synfire-chains, defined as feedforward networks of spiking neurons, are a well-studied class ofcircuitstructurethatcanpropagateapacketofsinglespikes while maintaining a fixed packet profile. Here, we studied the stable propagation of spike bursts, rather than single spike activities, in a feed-forward network of a general class of excitable bursting neurons. In contrast to single spikes, bursts can propagate stably without converging to any fixed profiles. Spike timings of bursts continue to change cyclically or irregularly during propagation depending on intrinsic properties of the neurons and the coupling strength of the network. To find the conditions under which bursts lose fixed profiles, we propose an analysis based on timing shifts of burst spikes similar to the phase response analysis of limit-cycle oscillators.

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2008
• Where: BC
• Authors: Jun-nosuke Teramae, Tomoki Fukai
• Keywords: Abstract Stable Signal, BC 2008, Excitable Bursting Neurons, Fixed Profiles