Synchronization in Multiplex Leaky Integrate-and-Fire Networks With Nonlocal Interactions

We study synchronization phenomena in a multiplex network composed of two rings with identical Leaky Integrate-and-Fire (LIF) oscillators located on the nodes of the rings. Within each ring the LIF oscillators interact nonlocally, while between rings there are one-to-one inter-ring interactions. This structure is motivated by the observed connectivity between the two hemispheres of the brain: within each hemisphere the various brain regions interact with neighboring regions, while across hemispheres each region interacts, primarily, with the functionally homologous region. We consider both positive (excitatory) and negative (inhibitory) linking. We identify numerically various parameter regimes where the multiplex network develops coexistence of active and subthreshold domains, chimera states, solitary states, full coherence or incoherence. In particular, for weak inter-ring coupling (weak multiplexing) different synchronization patterns on the two rings are supported. These are stable and are obtained when the intra-ring coupling values are near the critical points separating qualitatively distinct synchronization regimes, e.g., between the travelling fronts regime and the chimera state one.