Network-level interactions between intrinsic and external electric fields

Determine the network-level interactions between intrinsic electric fields modeled via the cell-size parameter r in the thermosensitive FitzHugh–Nagumo neuron model and externally applied periodic electric fields in coupled neuronal networks, clarifying how these endogenous and exogenous fields jointly influence collective dynamics at the network scale.

Background

The paper studies thermosensitive FitzHugh–Nagumo neurons that include an intrinsic electric field variable E coupled through the cell-size parameter r and examines networks with electrical and chemical synapses under external electric fields. While single-neuron effects of the intrinsic field have been characterized (e.g., modulation of chaotic dynamics), the broader implications at the network level—especially in the presence of externally applied fields—had not been established prior to this work.

In the introduction, the authors explicitly note a gap in knowledge regarding how endogenous electric fields (arising from cell morphology and represented via r) interact with applied electric fields in networked settings. This interaction is biologically relevant because both types of fields coexist in vivo and may jointly shape synchronization and chimera phenomena in neural circuits.