Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 15, 2025

Dynamic Clamp Methods to Investigate Impaired Neuronal Excitability Associated with Autism
Published on: October 17, 2025
Ionic channel blockage in stochastic Hodgkin-Huxley neuronal model driven by multiple oscillatory signals
Xiuying Zhou1, Ying Xu1, Guowei Wang1
1Department of Physics, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079 China.
Abstract:
Ionic channel blockage and multiple oscillatory signals play an important role in the dynamical response of pulse sequences. The effects of ionic channel blockage and ionic channel noise on the discharge behaviors are studied in Hodgkin-Huxley neuronal model with multiple oscillatory signals. It is found that bifurcation points of spontaneous discharge are altered through tuning the amplitude of multiple oscillatory signals, and the discharge cycle is changed by increasing the frequency of multiple oscillatory signals. The effects of ionic channel blockage on neural discharge behaviors indicate that the neural excitability can be suppressed by the sodium channel blockage, however, the neural excitability can be reversed by the potassium channel blockage. There is an optimal blockage ratio of potassium channel at which the electrical activity is the most regular, while the order of neural spike is disrupted by the sodium channel blockage. In addition, the frequency of spike discharge is accelerated by increasing the ionic channel noise, the firing of neuron becomes more stable if the ionic channel noise is appropriately reduced. Our results might provide new insights into the effects of ionic channel blockages, multiple oscillatory signals, and ionic channel noises on neural discharge behaviors.
Related Concept Videos
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential....
Ligand-gated Ion Channels
Three Subfamilies of Ligand-gated Ion Channels
Ligand-gated ion channels fall into three subfamilies. The 'Cys-loop' includes the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors. The second one is the 'Pore-loop' channels that...
Propagation of Action Potentials
Neurons (nerve cells) have a resting membrane potential, with a slightly negative charge inside compared to outside. This is maintained by ion channels, such as sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) channels, which control the flow of ions. When a stimulus, like a touch or a signal from another neuron, triggers the neuron, sodium channels open, allowing sodium ions to...
Mechanically-gated Ion Channels
Non-gated Ion Channels
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism....
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism

