Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 15, 2026

A Simple and Inexpensive Method for Determining Cold Sensitivity and Adaptation in Mice
Published on: March 17, 2015
A phase model of temperature-dependent mammalian cold receptors
P Roper1, P C Bressloff, A Longtin
1Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK.
Abstract:
We present a tractable stochastic phase model of the temperature sensitivity of a mammalian cold receptor. Using simple linear dependencies of the amplitude, frequency, and bias on temperature, the model reproduces the experimentally observed transitions between bursting, beating, and stochastically phase-locked firing patterns. We analyze the model in the deterministic limit and predict, using a Strutt map, the number of spikes per burst for a given temperature. The inclusion of noise produces a variable number of spikes per burst and also extends the dynamic range of the neuron, both of which are analyzed in terms of the Strutt map. Our analysis can be readily applied to other receptors that display various bursting patterns following temperature changes.
Related Concept Videos
Thermosensation
Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing
Thermoregulation
Increased Body Temperature
Phase Transitions
Heating and Cooling Curves
For instance, the addition of heat raises the temperature of a solid; the amount of heat absorbed depends on the heat capacity of the solid (q = mcsolidΔT). According to thermochemistry, the relation between the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance, q, and its...
