Section: New Results

The origin of the myth FitzHugh-Nagumo model

Participants : Binbin Xu, Oriol Pont.

Reference: [37] .

History became legend. Legend became myth. Derived from the pioneer ionic Hodgkin-Huxley model and due to its simplicity and richness from a point view of nonlinear dynamics, the FitzHugh-Nagumo model (FHN) is one of the most successful simplified neuron / cardiac cell model. 60 years later, there exist many variations of this model whose parameters ($\epsilon$, $\gamma$ and $\alpha$) are often used in biased conditions. The related results would be questionable. This study showed that $\alpha$ controls the global dynamics of FHN. $\alpha >0$, the cell is in refractory mode and does not respond to external stimulation; if $\alpha <0$, the cell is excitable. $\epsilon$ controls the main morphology of the action potential generated. $\gamma$ influences barely AP, it showed linear relationship with the period and duration of AP. Though it can be freely chosen for excitable cell, but smaller values are recommended.