Effect of hybrid synapses on vibrational resonance in neuron populations with small-world topology

The response of fifty coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo neurons with small-world topology, under high-frequency driving, to a subthreshold signal is investigated. We demonstrate the occurrence of vibrational resonance and it is shown that optimal amplitude of the high-frequency driving enhances the response of neuron populations to a subthreshold low-frequency input. Simulation results show that chemical coupling is more efficient than electrical coupling in signal detection and electrical coupling is better in signal transmission for local input. Networks with hybrid synaptic couplings combine the advantages in signal detection and propagation. By altering the ratio of the two types of synapse in hybrid coupled neuron population, it is shown that no matter what its ratio in a neuron population is, the chemical synapses will improve the ability of weak signal detection of neuron populations all the time. And the larger ratio of the electrical coupling in a neuron population is, the better the signal is propagated.