Multiple synchronization transitions due to periodic coupling strength in delayed Newman–Watts networks of chaotic bursting neurons

Abstract

In this paper, we numerically study the effect of time-periodic coupling strength on the synchronization of firing activity in delayed Newman–Watts networks of chaotic bursting neurons. We first examine how the firing synchronization transitions induced by time delay under fixed coupling strength changes in the presence of time-periodic coupling strength, and then focus on how time-periodic coupling strength induces synchronization transitions in the networks. It is found that time delay can induce more synchronization transitions in the presence of time-periodic coupling strength compared to fixed coupling strength. As the frequency of time-periodic coupling strength is varied, the firing exhibits multiple synchronization transitions between spiking antiphase synchronization and in-phase synchronization of various firing behaviors including bursting, spiking, and both bursting and spiking, depending on the values of time delay. These results show that time-periodic coupling strength can increase the synchronization transitions by time delay and can induce multiple synchronization transitions of various firing behaviors in the neuronal networks. This means that time-periodic coupling strength plays an important role in the information processing and transmission in neural systems.