Related Experiment Videos
From subthreshold to firing-rate resonance
Magnus J E Richardson1, Nicolas Brunel, Vincent Hakim
1Laboratoire de Physique Statistique, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France. Magnus.Richardson@epfl.ch
Journal of Neurophysiology
|March 4, 2003
Summary
Subthreshold resonance in neurons influences firing rate, especially under noisy conditions. Resonant neurons can communicate their preferred frequency to other neurons in vivo.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
Background:
- Many neuron types show subthreshold resonance, a frequency preference below spike threshold.
- The impact of this resonance on neuronal firing rate remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between subthreshold resonance and firing rate dynamics in neurons.
- To determine how noise and oscillating currents modulate firing rate in resonant neurons.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of conductance-based neuron models.
- Classification of subthreshold properties, including input impedance peaks and suppressions.
- Modeling of firing rate dynamics with background noise and oscillating currents.
Main Results:
- Identified a neuron class with input impedance suppression and a resonance peak.
- Firing rate modulation by oscillating currents depends on noise levels.
- In regular firing (low noise), modulation occurs at the firing rate; in irregular firing (high noise), modulation occurs at the subthreshold resonance frequency.
Conclusions:
- Subthreshold resonance significantly impacts neuronal firing rate, particularly in noisy environments.
- Resonant neurons can effectively transmit their preferred frequency to postsynaptic targets under biologically relevant noise levels.