Synaptic multistability and network synchronization induced by the neuron–glial interaction in the brain

Abstract

The dynamics of a synaptic contact between neurons that forms a feedback loop through the interaction with glial cells of the brain surrounding the neurons is studied. It is shown that, depending on the character of the neuron–glial interaction, the dynamics of the signal transmission frequency in the synaptic contact can be bistable with two stable steady states or spiking with the regular generation of spikes with various amplitudes and durations. It is found that such a synaptic contact at the network level is responsible for the appearance of quasisynchronous network bursts.