Stéphane Binczak

Ephaptic coupling of myelinated nerve fibers

Numerical predictions of a simple myelinated nerve fiber model are compared with theoretical results in the continuum and discrete limits, clarifying the nature of the conduction process on an isolated nerve axon. Since myelinated nerve fibers are often arranged in bundles, this model is used to study ephaptic (nonsynaptic) interactions between impulses on parallel fibers, which may play a functional role in neural processing.

Experimental study of electrical FitzHugh-Nagumo neurons with modified excitability

We present an electronical circuit modelling a FitzHugh-Nagumo neuron with a modified excitability. To characterize this basic cell, the bifurcation curves between stability with excitation threshold, bistability and oscillations are investigated. An electrical circuit is then proposed to realize a unidirectional coupling between two cells, mimicking an inter-neuron synaptic coupling. In such a master-slave configuration, we show experimentally how the coupling strength controls the dynamics of the slave neuron, leading to frequency locking, chaotic behavior and synchronization. These phenomena are then studied by phase map analysis. The architecture of a possible neural network is described introducing different kinds of coupling between neurons.

Spiking dynamics of interacting oscillatory neurons

Spiking sequences emerging from dynamical interaction in a pair of oscillatory neurons are investigated theoretically and experimentally. The model comprises two unidirectionally coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo units with modified excitability (MFHN). The first (master) unit exhibits a periodic spike sequence with a certain frequency. The second (slave) unit is in its excitable mode and responds on the input signal with a complex (chaotic) spike trains. We analyze the dynamic mechanisms underlying different response behavior depending on interaction strength. Spiking phase maps describing the response dynamics are obtained. Complex phase locking and chaotic sequences are investigated. We show how the response spike trains can be effectively controlled by the interaction parameter and discuss the problem of neuronal information encoding.

Detection of Complex Fractionated Atrial Electrograms Using Recurrence Quantification Analysis

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia but its proarrhythmic substrate remains unclear. Reentrant electrical activity in the atria may be responsible for AF maintenance. Over the last decade, different catheter ablation strategies targeting the electrical substrate of the left atrium have been developed in order to treat AF. Complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAEs) recorded in the atria may represent not only reentry mechanisms, but also a large variety of bystander electrical wave fronts. In order to identify CFAE involved in AF maintenance as a potential target for AF ablation, we have developed an algorithm based on nonlinear data analysis using recurrence quantification analysis (RQA). RQA features make it possible to quantify hidden structures in a signal and offer clear representations of different CFAE types. Five RQA features were used to qualify CFAE areas previously tagged by a trained electrophysiologist. Data from these analyzes were used by two classifiers to detect CFAE periods in a signal. While a single feature is not sufficient to properly detect CFAE periods, the set of five RQA features combined with a classifier were highly reliable for CFAE detection.

Estimation of Muscular Fatigue Under Electromyostimulation Using CWT

The aim of this study is to investigate muscular fatigue and to propose a new fatigue index based on the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) which is compared to the standard fatigue indexes from literature. Fatigue indexes are all based on the electrical activity of muscles [electromyogram (EMG)] acquired during an electrically stimulated contraction thanks to two modules (electromyostimulation + electromyography recording) that can analyze EMG signals in real time during electromyostimulation. The extracted parameters are compared with each other and their sensitivity to noise is studied. The effect of truncation of M waves is then investigated, enlightening the robustness of the index obtained using CWT.

INVESTIGATION OF MICRO SPIRAL WAVES AT CELLULAR LEVEL USING A MICROELECTRODE ARRAYS TECHNOLOGY

During cardiac arrhythmia, functional reentries may take the form of spiral waves. The purpose of this study was to induce spiral waves by an electrical stimulation of cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes using a microelectrode arrays technology. In basal conditions, cardiac muscle cells in monolayer culture displayed a planar wavefront propagation. External electrical impulse trains induced severe arrhythmia and spiral waves appeared. This in vitro generation of spiral wave opens a new way to test the anti-arrhythmic drugs and for strategies at microscopically scale.

Implementation of compact VLSI FitzHugh-Nagumo neurons

In this paper we show a low power and very compact VLSI implementation of a FitzHugh-Nagumo neuron for large network implementations. The circuit consists of only 17 small transistors and two capacitors and consumes less than 23 muW. It is composed of a nonlinear resistor and a lossy active inductor. We demonstrate that a simple low Q active inductor can be used instead of a complex one because the parasitic series resistor can be easily embedded to the FitzHugh-Nagumo model. We also perform a statistical analysis to check the robustness of the circuit against mismatch.

Frequency mapping in dynamic light emission with wavelet transform

Abstract Dynamic photon emission microscopy is an efficient tool to analyse today’s integrated circuit. Nevertheless, the reduction of transistor’s dimensions leads to more complex acquisitions where many spots can be seen. A frequency characterization of the whole acquired area can help to have a better understanding of it. With that purpose in mind, a new methodology to draw frequency mapping of dynamic light emission acquisition is reported. It is fully automated and based on wavelet transform and autocorrelation function. Regarding the possible use in an industrial context, the suggested method can help to localize abnormal emission activity and it gives some perspectives on automatic databases comparison.

Subpixel determination of imperfect circles characteristics

This article deals with the problem of the determination of characteristics of imperfect circular objects in discrete images, namely the radius and center coordinates. To limit distortion, a multi-level method based on active contours was developed. Its originality is to furnish a set of geometric envelopes in one pass, with a correspondence between grayscale and a regularity scale. The adequacy of this approach was tested with several methods, among them is the Radon-based method. More particularly, this study indicates the relevance of the use of active contours combined with a Radon transform-based method which was improved using a fitting considering the discrete implementation of the Radon transform.

Cardiac arrhythmias induced by an electrical stimulation at a cellular level

To provide insights into the impulse propagation between cardiac myocytes, we performed studies of excitation spread with cellular resolution in confluent monolayers of cultured cardiomyocytes (CM). Multisite field potentials have been recorded using microelectrode arrays (MEA) technology in a basal condition and in proarrhythmic conditions induced by a high frequency electrical stimulation. The in vitro observation of spiral waves opens a new way to test the anti-arrhythmic drugs or strategies at cellular level.