Collective firing patterns of neuronal networks with short-term synaptic plasticity

We investigate the occurrence of synchronous population activities in a neuronal network composed of both excitatory and inhibitory neurons and equipped with short-term synaptic plasticity. The collective firing patterns with different macroscopic properties emerge visually with the change of system parameters, and most long-time collective evolution also shows periodic-like characteristics. We systematically discuss the pattern-formation dynamics on a microscopic level and find a lot of hidden features of the population activities. The bursty phase with power-law distributed avalanches is observed in which the population activity can be either entire or local periodic-like. In the purely spike-to-spike synchronous regime, the periodic-like phase emerges from the synchronous chaos after the backward period-doubling transition. The local periodic-like population activity and the synchronous chaotic activity show substantial trial-to-trial variability, which is unfavorable for neural code, while they are contrary to the stable periodic-like phases. We also show that the inhibitory neurons can promote the generation of cluster firing behavior and strong bursty collective firing activity by depressing the activities of postsynaptic neurons partially or wholly.

Automated summary

Synchronous population activities in a neuronal network with both excitatory and inhibitory neurons, and short-term synaptic plasticity can exhibit periodic-like characteristics and bursty phase with power-law distributed avalanches. Inhibitory neurons can promote cluster firing behavior and strong bursty collective firing activity by depressing the activities of postsynaptic neurons. The population activities show substantial trial-to-trial variability in local periodic-like and synchronous chaotic phases, which is unfavorable for neural code, unlike the stable periodic-like phases.