Effects of neural entrainment within a biologically realistic network

A network of realistic neuron models interconnected by Hebbian synapses is shown to be capable of autoassociative recall. However, a collective network property, the robust entrainment of activity between neurons, leads to several interesting network level phenomena not seen in attractor networks with conventional neuron models. These include phase-locked bursting patterns of neural activity, the temporal segmentation of mixed pattern input cues, and the functionality to serve as a subunit for the storage of temporal sequences. Given the previously established accuracy of the utilized single neuron model as a reduced order approximation of the Hodgkin-Huxley equations, these findings are well suited for comparison with their biological correlates.