Effects of electric field on vibrational resonances in Hindmarsh–Rose neuronal systems for signal detection

Abstract

Changes in the concentration of charged ions in neurons can generate induced electric fields, which can further modulate cell membrane potential. In this paper, Fourier coefficients are used to investigate the effect of electric field on vibrational resonance for signal detection in a single neuron model and a bidirectionally coupled neuron model, respectively. The study found that the internal electric field weakens vibrational resonance by changing two factors, membrane potential and phase-locked mode, while the periodic external electric field of an appropriate frequency significantly enhances the vibrational resonance, suggesting that the external electric field may play a constructive role in the detection of weak signals in the brain and neuronal systems. Furthermore, when the coupling of two neurons is considered, the effect of the electric field on the vibrational resonance is similar to that of a single neuron. The paper also illustrates the effect of electric field coupling on vibrational resonance. This study may provide a new theoretical basis for understanding information encoding and transmission in neurons.