A programmable analog neural oscillator cell architecture is presented. The proposed neuron circuit is of hysteretic neural nature with its implementation based on operational transconductance amplifiers (OTA's). The hysteresis loop as well as the frequency of oscillation are voltage (or current) dependent. The architecture, which involves two OTA's, a current mirror, a capacitor, a diode, and a resistor is very suitable for monolithic integrated circuits. Experimental results confirm the expected flexibility of the synthetic neuron.