#38 · Systems biology

Parameter degeneracy and bursting transitions in minimal neuron and population models

The common thread is how parameter-dependent transitions in excitable cells and neural populations are organized by bifurcation structure. A minimal three-conductance neuron model shows that distinct parameter sets can yield equivalent bifurcation sequences spanning bursting and depolarization block, establishing degeneracy in which many parameterizations map to one dynamical sequence. A minimal Izhikevich population model of the parkinsonian subthalamic nucleus links synchronized bursting to coupling between beta and high-frequency oscillations. A Hodgkin-Huxley plus Smoluchowski electroporation model of nanosecond pulsed fields maps excitation versus electroporation regimes. The dominant theme is the mapping from parameters to dynamical regimes, and what is new is the explicit emphasis on degeneracy in bifurcation landscapes.