Nonlinear multidomain model for nerve bundles with random structure

Abstract

We present a derivation of a multidomain model for the electric potential in bundles of randomly distributed axons with different radii. The FitzHugh-Nagumo dynamics is assumed on the axons' membrane, and the conductivity depends nonlinearly on the electric field. Under ergodicity conditions, we study the asymptotic behavior of the potential in the bundle when the number of the axons in the bundle is sufficiently large and derive a macroscopic multidomain model describing the electrical activity of the bundle. Due to the randomness of geometry, the effective intracellular potential is not deterministic but is shown to be a stationary function with realizations that are constant on axons' cross sections. The technique combines the stochastic two-scale convergence and the method of monotone operators.