title: Control strategies of 3-cell Central Pattern Generator via global stimuli.
abstract: The study of the synchronization patterns of small neuron networks that control several biological processes has become an interesting growing discipline. Some of these synchronization patterns of individual neurons are related to some undesirable neurological diseases, and they are believed to play a crucial role in the emergence of pathological rhythmic brain activity in different diseases, like Parkinson's disease. We show how, with a suitable combination of short and weak global inhibitory and excitatory stimuli over the whole network, we can switch between different stable bursting patterns in small neuron networks (in our case a 3-neuron network). We develop a systematic study showing and explaining the effects of applying the pulses at different moments. Moreover, we compare the technique on a completely symmetric network and on a slightly perturbed one (a much more realistic situation). The present approach of using global stimuli may allow to avoid undesirable synchronization patterns with nonaggressive stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Centro Universitario de la Defensa de Zaragoza, Academia General Militar, Ctra. Huesca s/n. E-50090, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Álvaro
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.affiliation: Centro Universitario de la Defensa de Zaragoza, Academia General Militar, Ctra. Huesca s/n. E-50090, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Zaragoza, Departamento de Matemática Aplicada, Pedro Cerbuna, 12. E-50009, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barrio
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000465:Algorithms; D063226:Central Pattern Generators / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*