Synchronization and long-time memory in neural networks with inhibitory hubs and synaptic plasticity

Phys Rev E. 2017 Jan;95(1-1):012308. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.95.012308. Epub 2017 Jan 10.

Abstract

We investigate the dynamical role of inhibitory and highly connected nodes (hub) in synchronization and input processing of leaky-integrate-and-fire neural networks with short term synaptic plasticity. We take advantage of a heterogeneous mean-field approximation to encode the role of network structure and we tune the fraction of inhibitory neurons f_{I} and their connectivity level to investigate the cooperation between hub features and inhibition. We show that, depending on f_{I}, highly connected inhibitory nodes strongly drive the synchronization properties of the overall network through dynamical transitions from synchronous to asynchronous regimes. Furthermore, a metastable regime with long memory of external inputs emerges for a specific fraction of hub inhibitory neurons, underlining the role of inhibition and connectivity also for input processing in neural networks.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Computer Simulation
  • Models, Neurological*
  • Neural Inhibition*
  • Neural Pathways / physiology
  • Neuronal Plasticity*
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Periodicity