Using electronic circuits to model simple neuroelectric interactions

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Abstract
The Hodgkin-Huxley description of electrically excitable conductances is combined with the Eccles description of synaptic conductances to provide the basis of an electronic model of nerve-cell membrane. The models are used to explore neuroelectric interactions between spatially distributed regions of a single neuron and neuroelectric activities in very small groups of neurons. Among other things, oscillations are found to conduct with progressively increasing phase lead along an axon model. Miniature reflected spikes from a trigger region are able to reset slow potentials in an integrative region. Spike synchrony is found to be common in a mutually inhibiting pair of neural models. Spike bursts occur in a mutually exciting pair. Electrical connection between trigger regions is found to be excitatory or inhibitory, depending on phase relations. A simpler electronic model, is described and shown to be reasonably adequate for simulation of small neural nets.