Abstract:

Common inputs into oscillating neurons can be enough to enhance synchronization even in the absence of direct coupling. Using the olfactory bulb mitral cells as a motivation, we have studied the effects of noise on neural oscillators and synchronization. In this talk, we discuss a fundamental object involved in neural synchronization: the phase-resetting curve (PRC). We relate it to several commonly measured aspects of neuronal firing: the spike-triggered average and the peristimulustime histogram. Using a combination of theoretical, experimental, and numerical analysis, we explore how the shape of the PRC influences the ability of neurons to synchronize to partially correlated inputs. We use methods from stochastic maps, perturbation theory and variationalmethods to discuss rates of synchronization determined by aspects of the stimulus (such as color and correlation) and the neural oscillator.