Efficient implementation of the Hodgkin-Huxley potassium channel via a single volatile memristor

IntroductionIn 2012, potassium and sodium ion channels in Hodgkin-Huxley-based brain models were shown to exhibit memristive behavior. This positioned memristors as strong candidates for implementing biologically accurate artificial neurons. Memristor-based brain simulations offer advantages in ener...

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Main Authors: Lennart P. L. Landsmeer, Erbing Hua, Heba Abunahla, Muhammad Ali Siddiqi, Ryoichi Ishihara, Chris I. De Zeeuw, Said Hamdioui, Christos Strydis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Neuroscience
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1569397/full
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author Lennart P. L. Landsmeer
Lennart P. L. Landsmeer
Erbing Hua
Heba Abunahla
Muhammad Ali Siddiqi
Muhammad Ali Siddiqi
Muhammad Ali Siddiqi
Ryoichi Ishihara
Chris I. De Zeeuw
Chris I. De Zeeuw
Said Hamdioui
Christos Strydis
Christos Strydis
author_facet Lennart P. L. Landsmeer
Lennart P. L. Landsmeer
Erbing Hua
Heba Abunahla
Muhammad Ali Siddiqi
Muhammad Ali Siddiqi
Muhammad Ali Siddiqi
Ryoichi Ishihara
Chris I. De Zeeuw
Chris I. De Zeeuw
Said Hamdioui
Christos Strydis
Christos Strydis
author_sort Lennart P. L. Landsmeer
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionIn 2012, potassium and sodium ion channels in Hodgkin-Huxley-based brain models were shown to exhibit memristive behavior. This positioned memristors as strong candidates for implementing biologically accurate artificial neurons. Memristor-based brain simulations offer advantages in energy efficiency, scalability, and compactness, benefiting fields such as soft robotics, embedded systems, and neuroprosthetics.MethodsPrevious approaches used current-controlled Mott memristors, which poorly matched the voltage-controlled nature of ion channels. This study employs volatile, oxide-based memristors that leverage electric-field-driven oxygen-vacancy migration to emulate voltage-dependent channel behavior. We selected candidate WOx and NbOx memristors and modeled their dynamics to verify performance as Hodgkin-Huxley potassium channels.ResultsThe device exhibits sigmoidal gating and voltage-dependent time constants consistent with the theoretical model. By scaling the passive circuitry around the memristors, we show that they capture the essential mechanisms of potassium ion-channels, although spike height is reduced due to strong non-linear voltage-dependence. Still, by cascading multiple compartments, typical spike propagation is retained.DiscussionThis is the first demonstration of a voltage-controlled memristor replicating the Hodgkin-Huxley potassium channel, validating its potential for more efficient brain simulation hardware.
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spelling doaj-art-da0dd1a946bc48d89fa3ac18be9d54c82025-08-20T03:28:01ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2025-07-011910.3389/fnins.2025.15693971569397Efficient implementation of the Hodgkin-Huxley potassium channel via a single volatile memristorLennart P. L. Landsmeer0Lennart P. L. Landsmeer1Erbing Hua2Heba Abunahla3Muhammad Ali Siddiqi4Muhammad Ali Siddiqi5Muhammad Ali Siddiqi6Ryoichi Ishihara7Chris I. De Zeeuw8Chris I. De Zeeuw9Said Hamdioui10Christos Strydis11Christos Strydis12Department of Quantum and Computing Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, NetherlandsNeurocomputing Lab, Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Quantum and Computing Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, NetherlandsDepartment of Quantum and Computing Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, NetherlandsDepartment of Quantum and Computing Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, NetherlandsNeurocomputing Lab, Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, PakistanDepartment of Quantum and Computing Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, NetherlandsNeurocomputing Lab, Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, NetherlandsNetherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy of Sciences, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Quantum and Computing Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, NetherlandsDepartment of Quantum and Computing Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, NetherlandsNeurocomputing Lab, Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, NetherlandsIntroductionIn 2012, potassium and sodium ion channels in Hodgkin-Huxley-based brain models were shown to exhibit memristive behavior. This positioned memristors as strong candidates for implementing biologically accurate artificial neurons. Memristor-based brain simulations offer advantages in energy efficiency, scalability, and compactness, benefiting fields such as soft robotics, embedded systems, and neuroprosthetics.MethodsPrevious approaches used current-controlled Mott memristors, which poorly matched the voltage-controlled nature of ion channels. This study employs volatile, oxide-based memristors that leverage electric-field-driven oxygen-vacancy migration to emulate voltage-dependent channel behavior. We selected candidate WOx and NbOx memristors and modeled their dynamics to verify performance as Hodgkin-Huxley potassium channels.ResultsThe device exhibits sigmoidal gating and voltage-dependent time constants consistent with the theoretical model. By scaling the passive circuitry around the memristors, we show that they capture the essential mechanisms of potassium ion-channels, although spike height is reduced due to strong non-linear voltage-dependence. Still, by cascading multiple compartments, typical spike propagation is retained.DiscussionThis is the first demonstration of a voltage-controlled memristor replicating the Hodgkin-Huxley potassium channel, validating its potential for more efficient brain simulation hardware.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1569397/fullrealistic brain modelsmemristorsbrain machine interfacingneural networkssimulations
spellingShingle Lennart P. L. Landsmeer
Lennart P. L. Landsmeer
Erbing Hua
Heba Abunahla
Muhammad Ali Siddiqi
Muhammad Ali Siddiqi
Muhammad Ali Siddiqi
Ryoichi Ishihara
Chris I. De Zeeuw
Chris I. De Zeeuw
Said Hamdioui
Christos Strydis
Christos Strydis
Efficient implementation of the Hodgkin-Huxley potassium channel via a single volatile memristor
Frontiers in Neuroscience
realistic brain models
memristors
brain machine interfacing
neural networks
simulations
title Efficient implementation of the Hodgkin-Huxley potassium channel via a single volatile memristor
title_full Efficient implementation of the Hodgkin-Huxley potassium channel via a single volatile memristor
title_fullStr Efficient implementation of the Hodgkin-Huxley potassium channel via a single volatile memristor
title_full_unstemmed Efficient implementation of the Hodgkin-Huxley potassium channel via a single volatile memristor
title_short Efficient implementation of the Hodgkin-Huxley potassium channel via a single volatile memristor
title_sort efficient implementation of the hodgkin huxley potassium channel via a single volatile memristor
topic realistic brain models
memristors
brain machine interfacing
neural networks
simulations
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1569397/full
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