Existence of Mutual Stabilization in Chaotic Neural Models

Recent work has demonstrated that interacting chaotic systems can establish persistent, periodic behavior, called mutual stabilization, when certain information is passed through interaction functions. In particular, this was first shown with two interacting cupolets (Chaotic Unstable Periodic Orbit-lets) of the double scroll oscillator. Cupolets are highly accurate approximations of unstable periodic orbits of a chaotic attractor that can be generated through a control scheme that repeatedly applies perturbations along Poincaré sections. The decision to perturb or not to perturb the trajectory is determined by a bit in a binary control sequence. One interaction function used in the original cupolet research was based on integrate-and-fire dynamics that are often seen in neural and laser systems and was used to demonstrate mutual stabilization between two double scroll oscillators. This result provided the motivation for this thesis where the stabilization of chaos in mathematical models of communicating neurons is investigated. This thesis begins by introducing mathematical models of neurons and discusses the biological realism of the models. Then, we consider the two-dimensional FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN) neural model and we show how two FHN neurons can exhibit chaotic behavior when communication is mediated by a coupling constant, g, representative of the synaptic strength between the neurons. Through a bifurcation analysis, where the synaptic strength is the bifurcation parameter, we analyze the space of possible long-term behaviors of this model. After identifying regions of periodic and chaotic behavior, we show how a synaptic sigmoidal learning rule transitions the chaotic dynamics of the system to periodic dynamics in the presence of an external signal. After the signal passes through the synapse, synaptic learning alters the synaptic strength and the two neurons remain in a persistent, mutually stabilized periodic state even after the signal is removed. This result provides a proof-of-concept for chaotic stabilization in communicating neurons. Next, we focus on the 3-dimensional Hindmarsh-Rose (HR) neural model that is known to exhibit chaotic behavior and bursting neural firing. Using this model, we create a control scheme using two Poincaré sections in a manner similar to the control scheme for the double scroll system. Using the control scheme we establish that it is possible to generate cupolets in the HR model. We use the HR model to create neural networks where the communication between neurons is mediated by an integrate-and-fire interaction function. With this interaction, we show how a signal can propagate down a unidirectional chain of chaotic neurons. We further show how mutual stabilization can occur if two neurons communicate through this interaction function. Lastly, we expand the investigation to more complicated networks including a feedback network and a chain of neurons that ends in a feedback loop between the two terminal neurons. Mutual stabilization is found to exist in all cases. At each stage, we comment on the potential biological implications and extensions of these results

Principles for Making Half-center Oscillators and Rules for Torus Bifurcation in Neuron Models

In this modelling work, we adopted geometric slow-fast dissection and parameter continuation approach to study the following three topics: 1. Principles for making the half-center oscillator, a ubiquitous building block for many rhythm-generating neural networks. 2. Causes of a novel electrical behavior of neurons, amplitude modulation, from the view of dynamical systems; 3. Explanation and predictions for two common types of chaotic dynamics in single neuron model. To make our work as general as possible, we used and built both exemplary biologically plausible Hodgkin-Huxley type neuron models and reduced phenomenological neuron models

Adaptive and Phase Selective Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity in Synaptically Coupled Neuronal Oscillators

We consider and analyze the influence of spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP) on homeostatic states in synaptically coupled neuronal oscillators. In contrast to conventional models of STDP in which spike-timing affects weights of synaptic connections, we consider a model of STDP in which the time lags between pre- and/or post-synaptic spikes change internal state of pre- and/or post-synaptic neurons respectively. The analysis reveals that STDP processes of this type, modeled by a single ordinary differential equation, may ensure efficient, yet coarse, phase-locking of spikes in the system to a given reference phase. Precision of the phase locking, i.e. the amplitude of relative phase deviations from the reference, depends on the values of natural frequencies of oscillators and, additionally, on parameters of the STDP law. These deviations can be optimized by appropriate tuning of gains (i.e. sensitivity to spike-timing mismatches) of the STDP mechanism. However, as we demonstrate, such deviations can not be made arbitrarily small neither by mere tuning of STDP gains nor by adjusting synaptic weights. Thus if accurate phase-locking in the system is required then an additional tuning mechanism is generally needed. We found that adding a very simple adaptation dynamics in the form of slow fluctuations of the base line in the STDP mechanism enables accurate phase tuning in the system with arbitrary high precision. Adaptation operating at a slow time scale may be associated with extracellular matter such as matrix and glia. Thus the findings may suggest a possible role of the latter in regulating synaptic transmission in neuronal circuits

Controlling Equilibrium and Synchrony in Arrays of FitzHugh– Nagumo Type Oscillators

We present a case study of the FitzHugh–Nagumo (FHN) type model with a strongly asymmetric activation function. The proposed model is an electronically rather than a biologically inspired approach. The asymmetric exponential model imitates the shape of spikes in real neurons better than the classical FHN model with a cubic van der Pol activation function. An array of mean-field coupled non-identical FHN type oscillators is considered. The effect of mutual synchronization (phase locking) of units, originally oscillating at their individual frequencies, is demonstrated. Several feedback control methods, including stable tracking filter technique, mean field nullifying, and repulsive coupling are shown either to stabilize unstable equilibrium states or to suppress synchrony of the coupled FHN oscillators. The stability of the equilibrium states is analyzed by employing the eigenvalues, obtained from the characteristic equation, and by using the diagonal minors of the Routh–Hurwitz matrix. Nonlinear differential equations are solved numerically

Mathematical frameworks for oscillatory network dynamics in neuroscience

The tools of weakly coupled phase oscillator theory have had a profound impact on the neuroscience community, providing insight into a variety of network behaviours ranging from central pattern generation to synchronisation, as well as predicting novel network states such as chimeras. However, there are many instances where this theory is expected to break down, say in the presence of strong coupling, or must be carefully interpreted, as in the presence of stochastic forcing. There are also surprises in the dynamical complexity of the attractors that can robustly appear—for example, heteroclinic network attractors. In this review we present a set of mathemat- ical tools that are suitable for addressing the dynamics of oscillatory neural networks, broadening from a standard phase oscillator perspective to provide a practical frame- work for further successful applications of mathematics to understanding network dynamics in neuroscience

The mathematics behind chimera states

Chimera states are self-organized spatiotemporal patterns of coexisting coherence and incoherence. We give an overview of the main mathematical methods used in studies of chimera states, focusing on chimera states in spatially extended coupled oscillator systems. We discuss the continuum limit approach to these states, Ott--Antonsen manifold reduction, finite size chimera states, control of chimera states and the influence of system design on the type of chimera state that is observed

Mathematical methods of factorization and a feedback approach for biological systems

The first part of the thesis is devoted to factorizations of linear and nonlinear differential equations leading to solutions of the kink type. The second part contains a study of the synchronization of the chaotic dynamics of two Hodgkin-Huxley neurons by means of the mathematical tools belonging to the geometrical control theory.Comment: Ph. D. Thesis at IPICyT, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, 102 pp, 40 figs. Supervisors: Dr. H.C. Rosu and Dr. R. Fema

Model-Based and Machine Learning-Based Control of Biological Oscillators

Nonlinear oscillators - dynamical systems with stable periodic orbits - arise in many systems of physical, technological, and biological interest. This dissertation investigates the dynamics of such oscillators arising in biology, and develops several control algorithms to modify their collective behavior. We demonstrate that these control algorithms have potential in devising treatments for Parkinson's disease, cardiac alternans, and jet lag. Phase reduction, a classical reduction technique, has been instrumental in understanding such biological oscillators. In this dissertation, we investigate a new reduction technique called augmented phase reduction, and calculate its associated analytical expressions for six dynamically different planar systems: This helps us to understand the dynamical regimes for which the use of augmented phase reduction is advantageous over the standard phase reduction. We further this study by developing a novel optimal control algorithm based on the augmented phase reduction to change the phase of a single oscillator using a minimum energy input. We show that our control algorithm is effective even when a large phase change is required or when the nontrivial Floquet multiplier of the oscillator is close to unity; in such cases, the previously proposed control algorithm based on the standard phase reduction fails.We then devise a novel framework to control a population of biological oscillators as a whole, and change their collective behavior. Our first two control algorithms are Lyapunov-based, and our third is an optimal control algorithm which minimizes the control energy consumption while achieving the desired collective behavior of an oscillator population. We show that the developed control algorithms can synchronize, desynchronize, cluster, and phase shift the population.We continue this investigation by developing two novel machine learning control algorithms, which have a simple and intelligent structure that makes them effective even with a sparse data set. We show that these algorithms are powerful enough to control a wide variety of dynamical systems and not just biological oscillators. We conclude this study by understanding how the developed machine learning algorithms work in terms of phase reduction.In this dissertation, we have developed all these algorithms with the goal of ease of experimental implementation, for which the model parameters/training data can be measured experimentally. We close the loop on this dissertation by carrying out robustness analysis for the developed algorithms; demonstrating their resilience to noise, and thus their suitability for controlling living biological tissue. They truly hold great potential in devising treatments for Parkinson's disease, cardiac alternans, and jet lag