Desynchronization of thermosensitive neurons by using energy pumping

Abstract

A temperature-dependent nonlinear circuit can be mapped into an equivalent thermosensitive neuron model and then the main dynamical properties of neural activities can be reproduced. A thermistor is connected to different branch circuits of the FHN (FitzHugh–Nagumo) neural circuit, and different thermosensitive neuron models are obtained by applying scale transformation on the parameters and physical variables. The dynamics of the thermosensitive neurons is dependent on the temperature greatly, and synchronization stability between these neurons is investigated by selecting different kinds coupling channels. The reliability of this coupling scheme is mainly controlled by the physical properties of the electronic components in the coupling channels. A capacitor (and induction coil) can be used to connect nonlinear circuits and field coupling is activated to pump field energy for realizing synchronization. This kind of field coupling shows some advantage than the known voltage coupling via resistor connection because of no consumption of Joule heat and the coupling channel is adjustable. The results confirmed that two identical temperature-sensitive neurons can be coupled to reach complete synchronization by regulating the physical parameters in the coupling channel, and energy pumping along the coupling channel is decreased to zero under complete synchronization. For two thermosensitive neurons with parameter mismatch and diversity in temperature, synchronization approach becomes difficult and the energy pumping in the coupling channel is continued under phase lock. Its biophysical significance is that diversity in excitability and difference in channels makes thermosensitive neurons become much different, and the occurrence of bursting synchronization and seizure can be prevented completely.