Continuous functions determined by spike trains of a neuron subject to stimulation

Abstract

Several ways of estimating a continuous function from the spike train output of a neuron subjected to repeated stimuli are compared: (i) the probability of firing function estimated by a PST-histogram (ii) the rate of discharge function estimated by a "frequencygram" (Bessou et al. 1968) and (iii) the interspike-interval function which is introduced in this paper. For a special class of neuronal responses, called deterministic, these functions may be expressed in terms of each other. It is shown that the current clamped Hodgkin-Huxley model of an action potential encoding membrane (Hodgkin and Huxley 1952) is able to generate such deterministic responses. As an experimental example, a deterministic response of a primary muscle spindle afferent is used to demonstrate the estimation of the functions. Interpretability and numerical estimatability of these spike train describing functions are discussed for deterministic neuronal responses.