A field-effect transistor analog for the study of burst-generating neurons

An electronic analog based on the four-branch Hodgkin-Huxley equivalent circuit for the cell membrane is described. Two additional branches are included to realize the subthreshold membrane potential oscillations underlying burst generation. The analog is used to study the mechanism of burst generation, the progressive widening of the action potentials as a burst develops, and the possible effects of the accumulation of K⁺ions outside the cell membrane.