Noise-driven neocortical interaction: A simple generation mechanism for complex neuron spiking

We discuss a generic scenario along which complex spiking behavior evolves in biologically realistic neural networks. Our nonlinear dynamics approach is based directly on rat neocortical in vitro recordings. Using this experi mental data, we obtain a full overview on the possible spiking behaviors of pyramidal neurons that are engaged in binary interactions. Universality ar guments imply that the observed spiking behaviors are largely independent f rom the specific properties of individual neurons; theoretical arguments an d numerical experiments indicate that they should be observable in in vivo neocortical neuron networks.