Uncoupling the roles of firing rates and spike bursts in shaping the STN-GPe beta band oscillations

摘要

The STN-GPe network undergoes a change in firing rates as well as increased bursting during excessive band oscillations during Parkinson's disease. In this work we uncouple their effects by using a novel neuron model and show that presence of oscillations is contingent on the increase in STN firing rates, however the effect of spike bursting on oscillations depends on the network state. In a network state on the border of oscillatory and non-oscillatory regime, GPe spike bursting strengthens oscillations. The effect of spike bursting in the STN depends on the proportion of GPe neurons bursting. These results suggest a mechanism underlying a transient band oscillation bursts often seen in experimental data.