Model of the Propagation of Synchronous Firing in a Reduced Neuron Network

We studied the spread of synchronous repetitive firing in an array of purely excitatory neurons. The network consisted of an array of up to 250 by 250 neurons connected locally. We used a modified Rinzel's model for single neurons. Each neuron was connected with two neurons randomly chosen from eight neighbors. We determined the parameters of a network model needed to reproduce synchronized activity in locally connected neurons. The results of simulations in the full array of neurons suggest that the spread of activity and the velocity of spread is dependent on the strength of the connections. We found a range of synaptic weights for which the velocity of propagation is in agreement with measurements of the propagation of epileptiform activity in neocortex