Neural-electronic inhibition simulated with a neuron model implemented in SPICE.

There have been numerous studies presented in the literature related to the simulation of the interaction between biological neurons and electronic devices. A complicating factor associated with these simulations is the algebraic complexity involved in implementation. This complication has impeded simulation of more involved neural-electronic circuitry and consequently has limited potential advancements in the integration of biological neurons with synthetic electronics. In this paper, we describe a modification to a previously proposed SPICE based Hodgkin-Huxley neuron model that demonstrates more physiologically relevant electrical behavior. We utilize this SPICE based neuron model in conjunction with an external circuit that allows for artificial selective inhibition of neural spiking. The neural firing control scheme proposed herein would allow for action potential frequency modulation of neural activity that, if developed further, could potentially be applied to suppress undesirable neural activity that manifests symptomatically as the tremors or seizures associated with specific pathologies of the nervous system.