Dynamic effects of electric fields in a hybrid-coupled thermosensitive neuronal network

The dynamics of thermosensitive FitzHugh-Nagumo neuronal networks under hybrid synaptic coupling and external electric fields is investigated in a ring topology. Numerical simulations show collective behavior ranging from incoherent activity to coherent traveling waves and chimera and multichimera states, arising from the interplay between thermosensitivity, intrinsic electric fields, and the balance between electrical and chemical synapses. Chemical nonlocal coupling is essential for the stabilization of traveling waves and traveling chimera patterns, whereas purely electrical local coupling of chaotic neurons yields only incoherent states. The frequency and spatial extent of the applied field act as key control parameters: Low frequencies and localized stimulation can induce or suppress chimeralike domains, while high frequencies have negligible impact on network dynamics. Intrinsic electric fields, controlled by the cell radius r, modulate single-neuron excitability and reshape the network response to external fields, enabling transitions between incoherence, chimeralike states, and global synchronization. These results suggest that weak, spatially targeted electric fields can serve as effective control parameters for complex patterns of activity in thermosensitive hybrid-coupled networks, with potential implications for selective neuromodulation and bioinspired computing.