Control of coherence resonance in multiplex neural networks

Abstract: We study the dynamics of two neuronal populations weakly and mutually coupled in a multiplexed ring configuration. We simulate the neuronal activity with the stochastic FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN) model. The two neuronal populations perceive different levels of noise: one population exhibits spiking activity induced by supra-threshold noise (layer 1), while the other population is silent in the absence of inter-layer coupling because its own level of noise is sub-threshold (layer 2). We find that, for appropriate levels of noise in layer 1, weak inter-layer coupling can induce coherence resonance (CR), anti-coherence resonance (ACR) and inverse stochastic resonance (ISR) in layer 2. We also find that a small number of randomly distributed inter-layer links are sufficient to induce these phenomena in layer 2. Our results hold for small and large neuronal populations.