State and parameter discontinuities

Physical System

Transient voltage clamp to assess action potential stability.

Model

Force a discontinuous change in potential during an Action Potential.

Simulation

To work properly with variable time step methods, models that change states and/or parameters discontinuously during a simulation must notify NEURON when such events take place. This exercise illustrates the kinds of problems that occur when a model is changed without reinitializing the variable step integrator.

  1. Start with a current pulse stimulated HH patch. We recommend that you try creating this yourself with a brief current pulse at t = 0.1, either in Python or with the GUI tools. Our Python solution is hh_patch.py.

  2. Discontinuously change the voltage by +20 mV via

    def change():
        print(f'change at {h.t}')
        soma.v += 20
    
    def setup_discontinuities():
        h.cvode.event(2, change)
    
    fih = h.FInitializeHandler(setup_discontinuities)
    

    Note the difference between the fixed and variable step methods.

  3. Replace the change() function with the following and try again:

    def change():
        print(f'change at {h.t}')
        soma.v += 20
        h.cvode.re_init()
    
  4. What happens if you discontinuously change a parameter such as gnabar_hh during the interval 2-3 ms without notifying the variable time step method?

    def change(action):
        print(f'change at {h.t}: {action}')
        if action == 'raise':
            soma(0.5).hh.gnabar *= 2
        else:
            soma(0.5).hh.gnabar /= 2
        # h.cvode.re_init()   # should be here for cvode, but see below
    
    def setup_discontinuities():
        h.cvode.event(2, (change, 'raise'))
        h.cvode.event(3, (change, 'lower'))
    
    fih = h.FInitializeHandler(setup_discontinuities)
    

    It will be helpful to use the Crank-Nicholson fixed step method and compare the variable step method with and without the cvode.re_init(). Zoom in around the discontinuity at 2 ms.