Assessment of Cortical Travelling Waves Parameters Using Radially Symmetric Solutions to Neural Field Equations with Microstructure

Abstract

We model cortical travelling waves by radially symmetric solutions to planar neural field equations with periodic spatial heterogeneity, which capture e.g. the microstructure observed in the primary visual cortex. We investigate the so-called bump-solutions that correspond to generation of local excitation in the brain tissue and an early stage of radially symmetric spread of cortical waves. We study how the neural medium heterogeneity and other biophysical parameters such as neuron activation threshold, the lengths and the strengths of neuronal connections affect cortical waves mathematically represented in terms of radially symmetric solutions to neural field equations with microstructure.