Phase and Exact Models for Multifunctional Central Pattern Generators

We compare multistability in central pattern generator (CPG) motifs comprised either of biologically plausible Hodgkin-Huxley models of bursting leech heart interneurons or of phenomenologically reduced phase models. We propose a novel computational tool for detailed examination of polyrhythmic bursting in biophysical CPG models with coupling asymmetries and arbitrary coupling strength. We carry out the comparison of the 3-cell motifs with reciprocally inhibitory asymmetric connections by reducing the consideration to the examination of the qualitative geometric structure of two-dimensional maps for phase lag between the bursting cells.