Estimating amperometric spike parameters resulting from quantal exocytosis using curve fitting seeded by a matched-filter algorithm

摘要

Background: Quantal exocytosis of oxidizable neurotransmitters can be detected as spikes of amperometric current using electrochemical microelectrodes. Measurements of spike parameters indicate the maximal transmitter flux, flux duration, and amount of transmitter released from individual vesicles. Automated analysis algorithms need to reject spikes that overlap in time. In addition, many spikes are preceded by small amplitude "foot" signals, attributed to slow release of transmitter through a fusion pore. Accurate pre-spike baseline determination is essential for estimating fusion-pore duration and the amount of transmitter released through the fusion pore.