Dresden 2003 – scientific programme

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DY: Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 14: Statistical physics in biological systems I

DY 14.5: Talk

Monday, March 24, 2003, 15:45–16:00, G\"OR/226

Precise Timing of Spikes in Complex Neural Networks — •Michael Denker, Marc Timme, Markus Diesmann, Fred Wolf, and Theo Geisel — Max-Planck-Institut für Strömungsforschung, D-37073 Göttingen

Precisely timed spike patterns are believed to play an important role for neuronal representation of stimuli. A central question of theoretical neuroscience is how such sequences emerge from the dynamics of neural networks. Here, we demonstrate the existence and stability of periodic spike patterns in complex networks of pulse-coupled neural oscillators (cf. [1-3]). We show that an inhomogenous distribution of coupling strengths induces predictable temporal spike patterns as attractors of the neuronal dynamics. These spike patterns are replaced by an asynchronous state if the disorder in the couplings is increased. Furthermore, we analyze how spikes are organized into precise sequences depending on the coupling architecture of the network and the model parameters.
[1] R. E. Mirollo, S. H. Strogatz; SIAM J. Appl. Math. 50:1645 (1990).
[2] U. Ernst, K. Pawelzik, T. Geisel; Phys. Rev. Lett. 74:1570 (1995).
[3] M. Timme, F. Wolf, T. Geisel; Phys. Rev. Lett. 89:258701 (2002).