Information processing,memories, and synchronization in chaotic neural network with the time delay

Information processing and two types of memory in an analog neural network model with time delay that produces chaos similar to the human and animal EEGs are considered. There are two levels of information processing in this neural network: the level of individual neurons and the level of the neural network. Similar to the state of brain, the state of chaotic neural network is defined. It is characterized by two types of memories (memory I and memory II) and correlation structure between the neurons. In normal (unperturbed) state, the neural network generates chaotic patterns of averaged neuronal activities (memory I) and patterns of oscillation amplitudes (memory II). In the presence of external stimulation, the activity patterns change, showing changes in both types of memory. As in experiments on stimulation of the brain, the neural network model shows synchronization of neuronal activities due to stimulus measured by Pearson's correlation coefficient. An increase in neural network asymmetry (increase of the neural network excitability) leads to the phenomenon similar to the epilepsy. Modeling of brain injury, Parkinson's disease, and dementia is performed by removing and weakening interneuron connections. In all cases, the chaotic neural network shows a decrease of the degree of chaos and changes in both types of memory similar to those observed in experiments with healthy human subjects and patients with Parkinson's disease and dementia. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 11:39–52, 2005