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Effects of Neural Heterogeneity on Spiking Neural Network Dynamics

The brain is composed of complex networks of interacting neurons that express considerable heterogeneity in their physiology and spiking characteristics. How does neural heterogeneity affect macroscopic neural dynamics and how does it contribute to neurodynamic functions? In this letter, we address these questions by studying the macroscopic dynamics of networks of heterogeneous Izhikevich neurons. We derive mean-field equations for these networks and examine how heterogeneity in the spiking thresholds of Izhikevich neurons affects the emergent macroscopic dynamics. Our results suggest that the level of heterogeneity of inhibitory populations controls resonance and hysteresis properties of systems of coupled excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Neural heterogeneity may thus serve as a means to control the dynamic repertoire of mesoscopic brain circuits.