Experimental observation of transition from chaotic bursting to chaotic spiking in a neural pacemaker

The transition from chaotic bursting to chaotic spiking has been simulated and analyzed in theoretical neuronal models. In the present study, we report experimental observations in a neural pacemaker of a transition from chaotic bursting to chaotic spiking within a bifurcation scenario from period-1 bursting to period-1 spiking. This was induced by adjusting extracellular calcium or potassium concentrations. The bifurcation scenario began from period-doubling bifurcations or period-adding sequences of bursting pattern. This chaotic bursting is characterized by alternations between multiple continuous spikes and a long duration of quiescence, whereas chaotic spiking is comprised of fast, continuous spikes without periods of quiescence. Chaotic bursting changed to chaotic spiking as long interspike intervals (ISIs) of quiescence disappeared within bursting patterns, drastically decreasing both ISIs and the magnitude of the chaotic attractors. Deterministic structures of the chaotic bursting and spiking patterns are also identified by a short-term prediction. The experimental observations, which agree with published findings in theoretical neuronal models, demonstrate the existence and reveal the dynamics of a neuronal transition from chaotic bursting to chaotic spiking in the nervous system.