Usually, diffusive coupling of nonlinear oscillators in one dynamical
variable leads to synchronization of oscillators. We study a model of
coupled neural oscillators in which simple diffusive coupling in volta
ge, counterintuitively, leads to dephasing of oscillators. We examine
the general conditions under which dephasing through diffusive interac
tion will occur. We show that such systems with dephasing limit cycles
lead to a new burstinglike behavior: oscillators switch between high
and low oscillation amplitude. This occurs because the interaction is
such that oscillators tend to synchronize for sufficiently small oscil
lation amplitude, while they tend to desynchronize once their oscillat
ion amplitude has become large.