Pattern selection in coupled neurons under high-low frequency electric field.

Biological neurons exposed to an external electric field can induce polarization and charge fluctuation. Indeed, the exchange of calcium, sodium and potassium ions across the cell membrane can induce an electric field as a result of a time-varying electromagnetic field set up. This field could further modulate the cell electrical activity by inducing multiple firing modes. Based on the physical law of electric field, an improved model which includes an additive electrical field variable is constructed for a network of neurons to study wave propagation and mode transition by exploring the longtime dynamics of slightly perturbed plane waves in the network. Wave pattern and mode transition dependence on the different parameters of external electric field are discussed. It is found that the plane wave propagating in the coupled system breaks down to localized structures under the activation of modulational instability. The network under high-low external electric field supports bursting synchronization. This could be a fruitful avenue to discern the occurrence of paroxysmal epilepsy.

Effect of temperature fluctuation on the localized pattern of action potential in cardiac tissue.

Based on the improved FitzHugh-Nagumo myocardial model driven by a constant external current, the effect of temperature fluctuation in a network of electrically coupled myocardial cells are investigated through analytical and numerical computations. Through the technique of multiple scale expansion, we successfully reduced the complex nonlinear system of equations to a more tractable and solvable nonlinear amplitude equation on which the analysis of linear stability is performed. Interestingly from this analysis, a plot of critical amplitude of action potential versus wave number revealed the growth rate of modulational instability (MI) is an increasing function of the thermoelectric couplings; [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], under fixed conditions of nonlinear electrical couplings. In order to verify our analytical predictions through the study the long-time evolution of the modulated cardiac impulses, numerical computation is finally carried out. Numerical experiment revealed the existence of localized coherent structures with some recognized features of synchronization. Through the mechanism of MI, changes in thermoelectrical couplings promote wave localization and mode transition in electrical activities in the cell lattice. Results could provide new insights in understanding the underlying mechanism of the manifestation of sudden heart disorder subjected to heavily temperature fluctuation.