Abstract

This paper describes a study of the effects of variation of synaptic connectivity in a thalamo-cortical circuitry using a neural mass model. The oscillatory behaviour of the model output is assessed within the alpha frequency band. The model presented here is a modification of an existing model involving the introduction of biologically plausible synaptic connectivities as well as synaptic structure. Our goal is to study altered event related desynchronisation/synchronisation (ERD/ERS) patterns within the alpha band in Alzheimers disease as observed in experimental studies. ERD is an amplitude attenuation of certain EEG rhythms when an event is initiated or while a certain event is taking place in the brain. ERS is an amplitude enhancement of a certain EEG rhythm when cortical areas are not specifically engaged in a given mode of activity at a certain instant of time. EEG desynchronisation normally blocks alpha rhythms in the EEG due to sensory processing or behaviour. The results show that a decrease in synaptic connectivity induces a time lag in both ERD and ERS peaks in the model output. Furthermore, a deficiency induced in the inhibitory cholinergic pathway results in a distinct effect on time to peak in the ERD/ERS response. These observations are consistent with experimental findings in AD. Variation of the level of interconnectivity has a pronounced effect on the ERS behaviour of the model while the excitatory connectivity in the retino-geniculate pathway during the resting state is more influential on the ERD behaviour.