"Traveling wave" solutions of FitzHugh model with cross-diffusion

Math Biosci Eng. 2008 Apr;5(2):239-60. doi: 10.3934/mbe.2008.5.239.

Abstract

The FitzHugh-Nagumo equations have been used as a caricature of the Hodgkin-Huxley equations of neuron firing and to capture, qualitatively, the general properties of an excitable membrane. In this paper, we utilize a modified version of the FitzHugh-Nagumo equations to model the spatial propagation of neuron firing; we assume that this propagation is (at least, partially) caused by the cross-diffusion connection between the potential and recovery variables. We show that the cross-diffusion version of the model, be- sides giving rise to the typical fast traveling wave solution exhibited in the original "diffusion" FitzHugh-Nagumo equations, additionally gives rise to a slow traveling wave solution. We analyze all possible traveling wave solutions of the model and show that there exists a threshold of the cross-diffusion coefficient (for a given speed of propagation), which bounds the area where "normal" impulse propagation is possible.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials / physiology
  • Algorithms
  • Animals
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Computer Simulation
  • Diffusion
  • Humans
  • Models, Biological
  • Models, Neurological
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Neurons / metabolism*