Using noise to synchronize chaotic neural oscillators

The utility of noise in nonlinear systems is an issue of broad interest, with profound implications about the organization of behavior in complex systems. In this paper, We present an instance where "noise-like" aperiodic input to a group of chaotic neural oscillators can spontaneously produce a highly organized and potentially useful behavior-synchronization-which is much more difficult to produce with a "signal-like" input. In particular, oscillators subject to a fixed signal input can be synchronized quite rapidly by the addition of noise, and, in most cases, increasing noise amplitude enhances the reliability and speed of synchronization.