Electric field modulation of synchronization in neuronal networks

Motivated by the observation that applied electric fields modulate hippocampal seizures, and that seizures may be asynchronous, we modeled synaptically coupled two-compartment hippocampal pyramidal neurons embedded within an electrically resistive lattice in order to examine network synchronization properties under the influence of externally applied electric fields. Excitatory electric fields were shown to synchronize or desynchronize the network depending on the natural frequency mismatch between the neurons. Such frequency mismatch was found to decrease as a function of increasing electric field amplitude. These findings provide testable hypotheses for future seizure control experiments. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.