SELF-INDUCED SWITCHING AND CHIMERA STATES IN SPATIALLY WEIGHTED NEURONAL NETWORKS

The present study explores the collective dynamics of a network of coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN) neurons with spatially weighted connectivity. Neuronal interactions are determined by their spatial distance, and network connectivity is structured using a spatially weighted matrix. An important finding of the present work is self-induced switching on the dynamics of the neurons. Most works in the literature suggest that self-induced switching occurs due to long transients in the system. However, our study reveals that the observed self-induced switching occurs after a long transient, indicating an asymptotic behavior. At low coupling strengths, neurons are unsynchronized, but with increased coupling, synchronized behavior emerges, forming chimera states. Visualization techniques reveal that self-induced switching dynamics are observed before complete synchronization. Notably, neurons displaying complete or lag synchronization typically maintain period one or period two oscillations without self-induced switching. However, some neurons undergo self-induced switching, transitioning between period one and period two oscillations, driven by phase slips between coupled neuron action potentials.