Digital realization of the proposed linear model of the Hodgkin-Huxley neuron

摘要

It seems that computing systems that imitate the brain can be achieved by integrating of electronics and neuroscience. In recent years, neuromorphic systems have been developed by the fusion of electronics and neuroscience. Since neurons are the basis of neural systems, constructing the optimized digital neuron plays a critical role in neuromorphic applications. Furthermore, the dynamic of ionic channels, which are the causative agents of synaptic plasticity is the main characteristic of biological neurons. The Hodgkin-Huxley neuron model is a mathematical description of biological neuron that is widely used in neuroscience to explore the relation of action potential propagation and information transmission. This model consists of nonlinear differential equations, which approximates the electrical characteristics of excitable cells such as neurons and cardiac muscle. In this paper, a simplified version of the Hodgkin-Huxley neuron model was proposed by substituting its complex nonlinear dynamics with linear ones. Next, a digital circuit for the proposed linear model was designed, which can be implemented on a low-cost hardware platform, such as field-programmable gate array (FPGA). Comparison of MATLAB simulation of original model and Vivado simulation of the proposed digital circuit confirm that obtained results are in good agreement. The proposed digital circuit compared with the earlier circuits is more successful in terms of replicate essential characteristics of spiking responses and ionic currents in the biologically plausible model of neural activities. This new digital design will be applicable in developing neuro-inspired chips and exploring the brain's functionality in information processing.