Hindmarsh–Rose model: Close and far to the singular limit

Abstract Dynamics arising in the Hindmarsh–Rose model are considered from a novel perspective. We study qualitative changes that occur as the time scale of the slow variable increases taking the system far from the slow-fast scenario. We see how the structure of spike-adding still persists far from the singular case but the geometry of the bifurcations changes notably. Particular attention is paid to changes in the shape of the homoclinic bifurcation curves and the disappearance of Inclination-Flip codimension-two points. These transformations seem to be linked to the way in which the spike-adding takes place, the changing from fold/hom to fold/Hopf bursting behavior and also with the way in which the chaotic regions evolve as the time scale of the slow variable increases.