Self-organising criticality in the simulated models of the rat cortical microcircuits

Abstract

Two and three dimensional models of rat barrel and somatosensory cortex were simulated. Hoddgkin–Huxley and Leaky-Integrate-and-Fire neurons were used to the construction of the networks in GENESIS and PCSIM environments. The dynamics of both models was analysed. Self-organising criticality phenomena were found. Profound investigations of this behaviour showed its dependence not only on the number of connections, but also on the simulated network architecture originating, e.g., from varying probability of exocytosis or synapse creation in the selected areas of the network. For two dimensional model the results were compared to that obtained for smaller models and analysis of this comparison is presented to some extent. The three dimensional model of the rat primary somatosensory cortex is based on the ensemble of Liquid State Machines. The results obtained from that model are in good agreement with the dynamics recorded in neurophysiological experiments on real brain.