Synchronization transitions are investigated in small-world neuronal networks that are locally modeled by the Rulkov map with additive spatiotemporal noise. In particular, we investigate the impact of different information transmission delays and rewiring probability. We show that short delays induce zigzag fronts of excitations, whereas intermediate delays can further detriment synchrony in the network due to a dynamic clustering anti-phase synchronization transition. Detailed investigations reveal, however, that for longer delay lengths the synchrony of excitations in the network can again be enhanced due to the emergence of in-phase synchronization. In addition, we show that an appropriate small-world topology can restore synchronized behavior provided information transmission delays are either short or long. On the other hand, within the intermediate delay region, which is characterized by anti-phase synchronization and clustering, differences in the network topology do not notably affect the synchrony of neuronal activity.

We investigate front propagation and synchronization transitions in dependence on the information transmission delay and coupling strength over scale-free neuronal networks with different average degrees and scaling exponents. As the underlying model of neuronal dynamics, we use the efficient Rulkov map with additive noise. We show that increasing the coupling strength enhances synchronization monotonously, whereas delay plays a more subtle role. In particular, we found that depending on the inherent oscillation frequency of individual neurons, regions of irregular and regular propagating excitatory fronts appear intermittently as the delay increases. These delay-induced synchronization transitions manifest as well-expressed minima in the measure for spatial synchrony, appearing at every multiple of the oscillation frequency. Larger coupling strengths or average degrees can broaden the region of regular propagating fronts by a given information transmission delay and further improve synchronization. These results are robust against variations in system size, intensity of additive noise and the scaling exponent of the underlying scale-free topology. We argue that fine-tuned information transmission delays are vital for assuring optimally synchronized excitatory fronts on complex neuronal networks, and indeed, they should be seen as important as the coupling strength or the overall density of interneuronal connections. We finally discuss some biological implications of the presented results.

Real neurons can exhibit various types of firings including tonic spiking, bursting as well as silent state, which are frequently observed in neuronal electrophysiological experiments. More interestingly, it is found that neurons can demonstrate the co-existing mode of stable tonic spiking and bursting, which depends on initial conditions. In this paper, synchronization in gap-junctioncoupled neurons with co-existing attractors of spiking and bursting firings is investigated as the coupling strength gets increased. Synchronization transitions can be identified by means of the bifurcation diagram and the correlation coefficient. It is illustrated that the coupled neurons can exhibit different types of synchronization transitions between spiking and bursting when the coupling strength increases. In the course of synchronization transitions, an intermittent synchronization can be observed. These results may be instructive to understand synchronization transitions in neuronal systems.

Realistic networks display not only a complex topological structure, but also a heterogeneous distribution of weights in connection strengths. In addition, the information spreading through a complex network is often associated with time delays due to the finite speed of signal transmission over a distance. Hence, the weighted complex network with coupling delays have meaningful implications in real world, and resultantly gains increasing attention in various fields of science and engineering. Based on the theory of asymptotic stability of linear time-delay systems, synchronization stability of the weighted complex dynamical network with coupling delays is investigated, and simple criteria are obtained for both delay-independent and delay-dependent stabilities of synchronization states. The obtained criteria in this paper encompass the established results in the literature as special cases. Some examples are given to illustrate the theoretical results.

Since the Laplacian matrices of weighted networks usually have complex eigenvalues, the problem of complex synchronized regions should be investigated carefully. The present Letter addresses this important problem by converting it to a matrix stability problem with respect to a complex parameter, which gives rise to several types of complex synchronized regions, including bounded, unbounded, disconnected, and empty regions. Because of the existence of disconnected synchronized regions, the convexity characteristic of stability for matrix pencils is further discussed. Then, some efficient methods for designing local feedback controllers and inner-linking matrices to enlarge the synchronized regions are developed and analyzed. Finally, a weighted network of smooth Chua’s circuits is presented as an example for illustration.