Motor-pattern production: interaction of chemical and electrical synapses

A pair of neurons exhibiting postinhibitory rebound, if connected through reciprocally inhibitory chemical synapses, will exhibit a stable pattern of alternating bursts. If two such oscillating pairs, of similar but not identical properties are connected by means of an electrical synapse and an inhibitory chemical synapse between two neurons, one in each pair, the burst patterns may drift, may lock in synchrony, may entrain in antiphase, may entrain at an intermediate phase, or may be suppressed in the inhibited pair. The behavior depends on the strengths of the chemical and electrical coupling as well as on the degree of depression at the chemical synapse. There relationships of the motor patterns are illustrated quantitatively through theoretical calculations.