Spike synchronization in a biophysically-detailed model of the olfactory bulb
Résumé
Stimulus-evoked synchronization of action potentials has been demonstrated in mammalian olfactory bulb and in insect antennal lobes. Abolition of synchronization has been shown to impair the ability of honeybees to perform fine olfactory discrimination. We present a biophysically detailed computer model of the olfactory bulb which qualitatively reproduces many features seen in experimental recordings. The mitral cells of the model synchronize readily without common input due to lateral interactions with inhibitory granule cells. Weakly activated mitral cells fire more slowly than, but always synchronously with, strongly activated cells. Nearby cells synchronize more readily than widely separated ones.