Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026

The Optical Fractionator Technique to Estimate Cell Numbers in a Rat Model of Electroconvulsive Therapy
Published on: July 9, 2017
Estimating the amount of information conveyed by a population of neurons
Marshall Crumiller1, Bruce Knight, Yunguo Yu
1The Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine New York, NY, USA.
Abstract:
Recent technological advances have made the simultaneous recording of the activity of many neurons common. However, estimating the amount of information conveyed by the discharge of a neural population remains a significant challenge. Here we describe our recently published analysis method that assists in such estimates. We describe the key concepts and assumptions on which the method is based, illustrate its use with data from both simulated and real neurons recorded from the lateral geniculate nucleus of a monkey, and show how it can be used to calculate redundancy and synergy among neuronal groups.
Related Concept Videos
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential.
Neuronal Communication
Neurons as Communicators of the Brain
Cell Body
The cell body, also known...
Neuron Structure
Structure and Function of Neurons
The neuronal cell body—the soma— houses the nucleus and organelles vital to cellular...
Neuron Structure
The Synapse

