A Model for Low Threshold Oscillations in Neurons

This work introduces a model which attempts to explain the intercellular recordings made by Wilcox, Gutnick & Christoph (1988) of low threshold oscillations in neurons in the lateral habenula nucleus. Our purpose here is not to discuss all the physiological details but rather to concentrate on the structure of the dynamical system that we think is responsible for the main aspects of the behavior of these low threshold oscillations. We are looking for a simple, low dimensional system of differential equations that describe a dynamical system whose behavior is qualitatively similar to that of the neurons studied by Wilcox, Gutnick, & Christoph (1988).