The rectification of an electrical synapse can change the functional output of a pattern-generating circuit

Abstract

Electrical synapses are known to promote synchrony and speed in neuronal systems. However, other studies have found that electrical synapses can have the opposite effect by desynchronizing network neurons. Although they are mechanistically simple, electrical synapses can have unintuitive effects on neuronal network activity. The present study aims to further our understanding of electrical synapses by exploring their rectification in a neuronal circuit model. Rectification is the asymmetrical passage of current through a gap junction between two neurons and it is often likened to a diode in an