Temperature Effects on Neuronal Synchronization

Neuronal synchronization is an important aspect of brain function. It is responsible for coordinating brain activity and helps memory consolidation. However, abnormal synchronization can cause brain disorders, like Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. Epilepsy is characterized by an excessive neuronal synchronization that causes seizures [3]. Another crucial factor in neuronal activity is temperature. Humans need to have their bodies' temperature close to 98.6 degrees F (37 degrees C). A few degrees below or above that baseline value for an extended period of time may cause irreversible damage to the continuation of life. In children, for example, heat is a common trigger of febrile seizures [4, 2]. In this work we investigate how temperature affects neuronal synchronization. The study focuses on understanding how temperature variations impact neuronal synchronization patterns. We implement a small neuronal network of coupled neurons based on the Hodgkin-Huxley type neuron model [1]. We include the Arrhenius Factor to model the effects of temperature, with temperature ranging from 32 degrees C to 40 degrees C. Figure 1 depicts our preliminary results using a network of three neurons reciprocally coupled in a linear chain configuration. Our computer simulations show that higher synapse strength (coupling) facilitates neuronal synchronization for a given temperature. However, increases in temperature can lead to neurons less likely to synchronize, requiring higher coupling strength to maintain synchronization. We further investigate this phenomenon to better understand the correlation between temperature and disorders associated with neuronal synchronous activity, particularly in the case of febrile seizures.