Complex latency dynamics of biological neuron model under effect of electromagnetic induction

Abstract

In this study, the effect of electromagnetic induction on spike latency dynamics in the Hodgkin–Huxley (H–H) neuron is investigated. It has been shown that the timing of first spikes is an effective information carrier and delay in the first spike contains more neuronal information compared to subsequent spikes. The first spike latency can increase significantly by stochastic perturbations, and this is known as noise delayed decay (NDD) phenomenon. On the other hand, due to micro level biophysical activities, particularly transport of ions across the cell membrane causes a temporary and changing electromagnetic field, which forms a feedback contribution to that neuron. Here, we aim to understand the effects of induction current produced by such electromagnetic field on the first spike timing behavior in a single stochastic Hodgkin–Huxley model neuron. To achieve this aim, we demonstrate the dynamic behavior of stochastic neuron regarding spike latency depending on channel noise intensity at varying signal frequency. We show that NDD behavior apparently emerges at critical suprathreshold frequencies. Our results have also shown that electromagnetic induction can decrease the first spike latency and that it becomes easier for the neuron exposed to relatively higher electromagnetic fields to emit reasonably rapid firings. This implies that electromagnetic induction can regulate the functional role of spike latency and remove undesired impacts of NDD.