Itinerant complexity in networks of intrinsically bursting neurons.

Active neurons can be broadly classified by their intrinsic oscillation patterns into two classes characterized by spiking or bursting. Here, we show that networks of identical bursting neurons with inhibitory pulsatory coupling exhibit itinerant dynamics. Using the relative phases of bursts between neurons, we numerically demonstrate that the network exhibits endogenous transitions between multiple modes of transient synchrony. This is true even for bursts consisting of two spikes. In contrast, our simulations reveal that networks of identical singlet-spiking neurons do not exhibit such complexity. These results suggest a role for bursting dynamics in realizing itinerant complexity in neural circuits.