Effects of Synaptic Pruning on Phase Synchronization in Chimera States of Neural Network

This research explores the effect of synaptic pruning on a ring-shaped neural network of non-locally coupled FitzHugh–Nagumo (FHN) oscillators. The neurons in the pruned region synchronize with each other, and they repel the coherent domain of the chimera states. Furthermore, the width of the pruned region decides the precision and efficiency of the control effect on the position of coherent domains. This phenomenon gives a systematic comprehension of the relation between pruning and synchronization in neural networks from a new aspect that has never been addressed. An explanation of this mechanism is also given.