Abundant bursting patterns of a fractional-order Morris–Lecar neuron model

In this paper, a fractional-order Morris–Lecar (M–L) neuron model with fast-slow variables is firstly proposed. The fractional-order M–L model is a generalization of the integer-order M–L model with fast-slow variables, where the fractional-order derivative is used to characterize the memory effect and power law of membranes. Then the bursting patterns of the new model are investigated by using the bifurcation theory of fast-slow dynamical systems. Numerical simulation shows that the new model exhibits some bursting patterns that appear in some common neuron models with properly chosen parameters but do not exist in the corresponding integer-order M–L model. Further, on the basis of a comparison of the nonlinear dynamics between the fractional-order M–L model and the integer-order M–L model, we show that the fractional-order derivative can activate the slow potassium ion channel faster and play an important role to modulate the firing activity of the new model.