NOISE INDUCED LIMIT CYCLES OF THE BONHOEFFER-VAN DER POL MODEL OF NEURAL PULSES.

The effect of additive noise on the Bonhoeffer-van der Pol (BvP) model is studied. For this purpose we developed a numerical algorithm to solve the pertinent 2-dim. Fokker-Planck equation. The results demonstrate that the global behaviour of the system is determined by certain lines toward which the distribution function is attracted. These lines are also the seeds for the limit cycle in the deterministic system. The noisy BvP model exhibits a limit cycle (oscillations) even when the deterministic system does not. This behaviour may explain the firing pattern of neurons.