Vibrational resonance in neuron populations

Abstract

In this paper different topologies of populations of FitzHugh–Nagumo neurons have been introduce to investigate the effect of high-frequency driving on the response of neuron populations to a subthreshold low-frequency signal. We show that optimal amplitude of high-frequency driving enhances the response of neuron populations to a subthreshold low-frequency input and the optimal amplitude dependences on the connection among the neurons. By analyzing several kinds of topology (i.e., random and small world) different behaviors have been observed. Several topologies behave in an optimal way with respect to the range of low-frequency amplitude leading to an improvement in the stimulus response coherence, while others with respect to the maximum values of the performance index. However, the best results in terms of both the suitable amplitude of high-frequency driving and high stimulus response coherence have been obtained when the neurons have been connected in a small-world topology.