Role of astrocyte on neuronal synchrony in chaotic environment

Article Type

Research Article

Publication Title

Physics Letters Section A General Atomic and Solid State Physics

Abstract

In this work, we investigate the role of astrocytes in regulating synchronization between neurons through modulation of their firing rates in a chaotic environment. To do this, we consider a tripartite system, consisting of a presynaptic neuron, a postsynaptic neuron, and an astrocyte, to be used to analyze the influence of astrocytic dynamics on neuronal behavior. The effects of astrocyte-mediated depolarizing and hyperpolarizing influences on the neuronal membrane potential are explored, focusing on how these processes alter spike activity under constant chaotic conditions. The study reveals that astrocytes can modulate the timing of random spike patterns in both neurons, with the excitatory and inhibitory effects of astrocytes leading to significant changes in neuronal firing rates. The results indicate that varying the astrocytic influence (parameterized by ϵ) can enhance or suppress neuronal firing rates, providing deeper insight into the mechanisms underlying the interactions between astrocytes and neurons in chaotic environments. The effect of Ca2+ channel noise of astrocytes on synchronization is considered and it is noted that astrocytic noise disrupts synchronization between neurons.

DOI

10.1016/j.physleta.2025.131002

Publication Date

12-5-2025

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