Synchrony and Periodicity in an Excitable Stochastic Neural Network with Multiple Subpopulations

Abstract

We consider a fully stochastic excitatory neuronal network with a number of subpopulations with different firing rates. We show that as network size goes to infinity, this limits on a deterministic hybrid model whose trajectories are discontinuous. The jumps in the limit correspond to large synchronous events that involve a large proportion of the network. We also perform a rigorous analysis of the limiting deterministic system in certain cases, and show that it displays synchrony and periodicity in a large region of parameter space.