Emergence of Relaxation Oscillations in Neurons Interacting With Non-stationary Ambient GABA.

Denis A Adamchik,Valery V Matrosov,Victor B Kazantsev

doi:10.3389/fncom.2018.00019

Abstract

Dynamics of a homogeneous neural population interacting with active extracellular medium were considered. The corresponding mathematical model was tuned specifically to describe the behavior of interneurons with tonic GABA conductance under the action of non-stationary ambient GABA. The feedback provided by the GABA mediated transmembrane current enriched the repertoire of population activity by enabling the oscillatory behavior. This behavior appeared in the form of relaxation oscillations which can be considered as a specific type of brainwaves.

Highlights

The focus of experimental and theoretical studies of brain signaling was almost exceptionally on neurons and their networks
We propose a mathematical model accounting for the feedback between interneurons and ambient GABA
We proposed a self-consistent model of interneurons interacting with extracellular, activity dependent GABA

Summary

Introduction

The focus of experimental and theoretical studies of brain signaling was almost exceptionally on neurons and their networks. All other structures constituting the nervous tissue such as glial cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) until very recent decades were not taken into account in the mechanisms of information processing. Glial cells and various exctracellular structures were primarily thought to perform a number of auxiliary functions such as trophic, supportive and immune (Allen et al, 2009). The comprehension of inalienability of glia and ECM to the neuronal signaling came with the discovery of chemical synaptic transmission machinery (Krnjevic, 1974) and secretory function of astrocytes (Martin, 1992). Glia turned out to be a gigantic chemical factory of the nervous system, governing neurons and using the extracellular space as an intermediary (Barres, 1991)

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Conclusion