Global bifurcation structure in periodically stimulated giant axons of squid (Q917475)

Giant axons of squid can be understood as nonlinear and nonequilibrium oscillatory systems exhibiting three types of behaviour when periodically driven: phase-locked, quasi-periodic and chaotic responses. In order to study the dynamic structure of the squid axon, the authors experimentally studied potential response characteristics of spontaneously repetitive firing axons to periodic current stimulations finding that these response characteristics are analogous to those of other physical systems periodically driven. A bifurcation structure of the response patterns is described as a function of two bifurcation parameters: \(I/I_ t\) (the current pulse intensity normalized by threshold current) and T (current pulse intervals). The observed bifurcation structure is compared with those of other physical or chemical nonlinear systems.