HHsim Hodgkin-Huxley Simulator

Students, teachers or users who work in the field of neurophysiology might require an effective solution for viewing the behavior of excitable neuronal membranes. HHsim Graphical Hodgkin-Huxley Simulator was created as a basic software solution that will offer users the ability to simulate neuronal membrane excitation and view a graphical representation of the resulted voltage waveform.

HHsim Graphical Hodgkin-Huxley Simulator offers a classical graph interface that boasts a highly technical air and resembles the looks of an oscilloscope. In its main view users will be able to preview the waveform of the resulted voltage and the application offers them tools for zooming, panning or measuring point values with the mouse cursor.

Featuring a rather cumbersome installation process, the application requires users to have administrator rights on their PCs. After installing the included MATLAB Runtime Component, they will need to run the application’s executable in Administrator mode. All this initial hassle might tip users right from the start, especially since the documentation doesn’t mention the need for administrator rights.

Users will be able to view the current pulses of the external stimuli as well as the membrane’s voltage, all in the same window. When entering the different modules that offer customization for the membrane  parameters, channels, stimuli or drugs, users might find the adjustment buttons rather hard to distinguish, being black over a black background.

All the parameters can be customized and one will be able to increase or decrease the values of the ion concentrations of the membrane (for Sodium, Potassium or Chloride). Each channel can be adjusted individually and the application allows users to access a detailed window with the Hodgkin-Huxley equation parameters for the fast Sodium channel.

HHsim Graphical Hodgkin-Huxley will be a valid choice for users who require an efficient way of visualizing the behavior of neuronal membranes as a response to electrical stimuli. It will provide them with a customizable plot display accompanied by numerous tools for adjusting the membrane / stimulus parameters and ion concentrations.