Stability of stochastic finite-size spiking-neuron networks: Comparing mean-field, 1-loop correction and quasi-renewal approximations.

We examine the stability and qualitative dynamics of stochastic neuronal networks specified as multivariate non-linear Hawkes processes and related point-process generalized linear models that incorporate both auto- and cross-history effects. In particular, we adapt previous theoretical approximations based on mean field and mean field plus 1-loop correction to incorporate absolute refractory periods and other auto-history effects. Furthermore, we extend previous quasi-renewal approximations to the multivariate case, i.e. neuronal networks. The best sensitivity and specificity performance, in terms of predicting stability and divergence to nonphysiologically high firing rates in the examined simulations, was obtained by a variant of the quasi-renewal approximation.