Dynamical analysis of dendritic mixed bursting within the pre-Bötzinger complex

Abstract

A special class of neurons within the brainstem pre-Botzinger complex (pre-BotC) may perform diversified electrical actions, which are closely related to the generation of mammalian respiratory rhythm. Researches on electrical activities of those neurons are of highly interest and have been conducted both experimentally and computationally. One interesting firing activity observed experimentally is the so-called mixed bursting (MB), which exhibits more than one type of short bursts within a periodic cycle and is believed to be generated by the joint action of persistent sodium current and intracellular calcium oscillations. In this paper, based on Park and Rubin’s model for single pre-BotC neuron, we numerically find that MB can also be driven by the sole action of intracellular calcium oscillations originating from the dendrite. We call such MB the dendritic mixed bursting (DMB). We show several special DMBs one after another and interpret their dynamical mechanisms via fast–slow decomposition and bifurcation analysis. In addition, we show how calcium-activated nonspecific cationic conductance ( $$g_{\text{ CAN }}$$ ) affects certain DMB activities. This work may provide significant insights for comprehending compound kinetics scenarios within the pre-BotC.