Central Pattern Generators (CPGs) are networks of multiple oscillating neuron groups which generate regular, rhythmic spiking or bursting outputs in the absence of rhythmic inputs.

The smallest form of a CPG is a half-center oscillator (HCO), composed of two reciprocally inhibitory neurons. As one neuron reaches an active state and begins to generate spiking activity, it forces the other into a suppressed state of non-spiking; spiking oscillates between the two neurons.

In modeling different sets of HCOs to visualize their responses, we needed equations with which to simulate the neurons. The Hodgkin-Huxley equations (left) compose the standard biological model used for neurons, which is a biomimetic conductance-based model. Its four variable parameters make it computationally expensive, and therefore, the two simplified models below were used for our investigations; both are popular in computational neuroscience research.