title: The role of electrical coupling in generating and modulating oscillations in a neuronal network.
abstract: A simplified model of the crustacean gastric mill network is considered. Rhythmic activity in this network has largely been attributed to half center oscillations driven by mutual inhibition. We use mathematical modeling and dynamical systems theory to show that rhythmic oscillations in this network may also depend on, or even arise from, a voltage-dependent electrical coupling between one of the cells in the half-center network and a projection neuron that lies outside of the network. This finding uncovers a potentially new mechanism for the generation of oscillations in neuronal networks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ 07470, USA. Electronic address: mouserc@wpunj.edu.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mouser
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematical Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA. Electronic address: bose@njit.edu.
authors.forename: Amitabha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bose
authors.affiliation: Federated Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USA. Electronic address: farzan@njit.edu.
authors.forename: Farzan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nadim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Electrical coupling; Half-center oscillator; Phase-plane analysis