Synchronous oscillatory activity in assemblies of chaotic model neurons

Recent physiological evidence signals the presence of synchronous oscillatory behavior over distances of some millimeters in several parts of the brain of mammals. These oscillations are customary explained in terms of the synchronization of coupled limit cycle, relaxation or pulsed oscillators. Following the suggestion by Freeman that perceptive processes might be shaped by the intrinsically chaotic activity of the brain, it is shown that the synchronous oscillatory activity of assemblies of neurons can also be retrieved from model neurons exhibiting chaotic behavior. This is achieved by the coexistence of appropriate synchronizing connections and the effect of external stimuli. The effect of the latter is to suppress chaos in the corresponding sensory neuron, yielding a particular periodic behavior.