Regulation of burst dynamics in the neuron-glial network with synaptic plasticity

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop and investigate a model of astrocytic regulation of burst dynamics of a spiking neural network with synaptic plasticity in inhibitory synapses. Methods. The “integrate and firing” model was used as a neuron model. To describe the dynamics of synaptic connections, a conductance-dependent synapse model with corresponding characteristic relaxation times for excitatory and inhibitory synapses was used. At the same time, inhibitory synaptic plasticity, described by the Vogel model, was used in the dynamics of inhibitory synapses between excitatory and inhibitory neurons. At the same time, the dynamics of excitatory synapses was regulated by the mean-field model of gliotransmitter concentration. Results. A model for the regulation of burst dynamics in a neuron-glial network with inhibitory synaptic plasticity was developed and studied. The main dynamic modes of neuronal activity were obtained in the absence of regulation, in the presence of only synaptic plasticity, and in the presence of also astrocytic regulation of synaptic transmission. A study was conducted of the influence of astrocytic modulation on the frequency of burst activity of the neural network. Conclusion. The study showed the possibility of controlling the burst activity of a spiking neural network by taking into account inhibitory synaptic plasticity for inhibitory synapses between inhibitory and excitatory neurons, as well as astrocytic modulation of excitatory synapses. Astrocytic modulation of synaptic transmission may act as an additional mechanism for maintaining homeostasis in the neural network beyond synaptic transmission, which exists on a faster time scale.

Keywords

• spiking neural network
• recurrent network
• tripartite synapse
• synaptic plasticity
• neuron
• astrocyte