Chaotic neuron clock

A chaotic model of spontaneous (without external stimulus) neuron firing has been analyzed by mapping the irregular spiking time-series into telegraph signals. In this model the fundamental frequency of chaotic Rössler attractor provides (with a period doubling) the strong periodic component of the generated irregular signal. The exponentially decaying broad-band part of the spectrum of the Rössler attractor has been transformed by the threshold firing mechanism into a scaling tale. These results are compared with irregular spiking time-series obtained in vitro from a spontaneous activity of hippocampal (CA3) singular neurons (rat’s brain slice culture). The comparison shows good agreement between the model and experimentally obtained spectra.

► A chaotic model of spontaneous neuron firing.
► Mapping the irregular spiking time-series into telegraph signals.
► Fundamental frequency of the Rossler attractor provides periodic component.
► Spiking time-series from spontaneous activity of hippocampal neurons.
► Comparison shows good agreement between the model and the experiment.