Effects of non-synaptic neuronal interaction in cortex on synchronization and learning

Abstract

During neural communication by means of action potentials, small electromagnetic (EM) fields are also generated. We use a three layered cortical neural network model to study the effects of EM fields and gap junctions on spatio-temporal network activity. We investigate the possible role of these effects in synchronizing activity, a phenomenon which has been observed in the olfactory cortex and the hippocampus. The simulation results support the notion that fast synchronization of activity in distant parts of the neural network are made possible by means of EM fields and/or gap junctions. The results also indicate that these effects, to a certain extent, are beneficial to system performance.