Cellular automaton models of the CA3 region of the hippocampus

From the known properties of the hippocampal slice the authors have abstracted a cellular automaton model that incorporates many of the features of the CA3 region of the hippocampus, but which represents the neurons as binary variables. The model is simple enough to allow efficient numerical simulation. Results of simulations of a finite-size model with up to 10000 neurons, as well as the properties of the corresponding infinite-size limit, are shown to be in good agreement with the observed collective behaviour of hippocampal slices.