A Minimal Model of a Central Pattern Generator and Motoneurons for Insect Locomotion

We adapt the generic three-dimensional bursting neuron model derived in the companion paper [SIAM J. Appl. Dyn. Syst., 3 (2004), pp. 636–670] to model central pattern generator interneurons and slow and fast motoneurons in insect locomotory systems. Focusing on cockroach data, we construct a coupled network that retains sufficient detail to allow investigation and prediction of biophysical parameter changes. We show that the model can encompass stepping frequency, duty cycle, and motoneuron output variations observed in cockroaches, and we reduce it to an analytically tractable symmetric network of coupled phase oscillators from which general principles can be extracted. The model’s modular form allows dynamical analyses of individual components and the addition of other components, so we expect it to be more generally useful.