The role of single spiking spherical neurons in a fast sensory pathway

摘要

One difficulty in understanding the brain is that of linking the structure of the neurons with their computational roles in neural circuits. In this paper we address this subject in a relative simple system, the fast electrosensory pathway of an electric fish, where sensory images are coded by the relative latency of a volley of single spikes. The main input to this path is a stream of discrete electric images resulting from the modulation of a self- generated carrier by the environment. At the second order cell level, a window of low responsiveness, reducing potential interference from other stimuli, follows activation of the path.