Analyzing a Discrete Model of Aplysia Central Pattern Generator
Ashish Tiwari and Carolyn Talcott
Abstract
We present a discrete formal model of the central pattern generator (CPG)
located in the buccal ganglia of {\em Aplysia} that is responsible for mediating
the rhythmic movements of its foregut during feeding. Our starting point
is the continuous dynamical model for pattern generation underlying
fictive feeding in {\em Aplysia} proposed by Baxter et. al.~\cite{baxter06}.
The discrete model is obtained as a composition of discrete models
of ten individual neurons in the CPG. The individual neurons are
inter-connected through excitatory and inhibitory synaptic
connections and electric connections. We used Symbolic
Analysis Laboratory (SAL) to formally build the model and
analyzed it using the SAL model checkers. Using abstract
discrete models of the individual neurons helps in understanding
the buccal motor programs generated by the network in terms of
the network connection topology. It also eliminates the need for
detailed knowledge of the unknown parameters in the continuous
model of Baxter et. al.~\cite{baxter06}.
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SAL Model
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BibTeX Entry
@inproceedings{TT08:CMSB,
title = "Analyzing a Discrete Model of Aplysia Central Pattern Generator",
author = "Tiwari, A. and Talcott, C.",
booktitle = "Proc. Comp. Meth. in Sys. Bio., CMSB",
year = 2008,
pages = "347--366",
publisher = "Springer",
series = "LNBI",
volume = 5307,
}
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