Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation01:19

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

4.2K
A postsynaptic neuron usually receives numerous impulses from several other presynaptic neurons. The axon hillock of the postsynaptic neuron integrates all these signals and determines the likelihood of firing an action potential.
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....
4.2K
Poisson Probability Distribution01:09

Poisson Probability Distribution

12.3K
A Poisson probability distribution is a discrete probability distribution. It gives the probability of a number of events occurring in a fixed interval of time or space if these events happen at a known average rate and independently of the time since the last event. For example, a book editor might be interested in the number of words spelled incorrectly in a particular book. It might be that, on average, there are five words spelled incorrectly in 100 pages. The interval is 100 pages.
The...
12.3K
Neuronal Communication01:28

Neuronal Communication

4.5K
Neurons, the fundamental units of the brain and nervous system, communicate through complex electrochemical signals that underpin all cognitive and bodily functions. This communication is primarily facilitated by a process involving the generation and propagation of an action potential along the axon of the neuron. When the internal electrical charge of a neuron surpasses a certain threshold, an action potential is triggered. This rapid change in voltage travels swiftly along the axon to the...
4.5K
The Synapse02:47

The Synapse

137.1K
Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information.
137.1K
Poisson's And Laplace's Equation01:25

Poisson's And Laplace's Equation

4.5K
The electric potential of the system can be calculated by relating it to the electric charge densities that give rise to the electric potential. The differential form of Gauss's law expresses the electric field's divergence in terms of the electric charge density.
4.5K
Neural Circuits01:25

Neural Circuits

3.2K
Neural circuits and neuronal pools are two of the main structures found in the nervous system. Neural circuits are networks of neurons that work together to carry out a specific task or process. They consist of interconnected neurons and glial cells, which provide structural and metabolic support.
Neuronal pools are collections of nerve cells with similar functions and interact through chemical and electrical signals. These pools include both interneurons (the central neural circuit nodes that...
3.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Comparing effective and functional connectivity.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Emergence of coordinated gait patterns via physically coupled active rotators.

Physical review. E·2026
Same author

Stimulus duration encoding occurs early in the moth olfactory pathway.

Communications biology·2024
Same author

Inference of monosynaptic connections from parallel spike trains: A review.

Neuroscience research·2024
Same author

Nondifferentiable activity in the brain.

PNAS nexus·2024
Same author

Estimation of firing rate from instantaneous interspike intervals.

Neuroscience research·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 22, 2026

Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond
08:08

Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond

Published on: June 24, 2015

12.1K

Efficient information transfer by Poisson neurons.

Lubomir Kostal1, Shigeru Shinomoto

  • 1Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 14220 Prague 4, Czech Republic.

Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering : MBE
|April 24, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Neurons may communicate by switching firing intensities, mimicking optimal information transmission. This study analyzes neuronal signaling efficiency using information theory, considering metabolic costs and achievable performance.

More Related Videos

Photodiode-Based Optical Imaging for Recording Network Dynamics with Single-Neuron Resolution in Non-Transgenic Invertebrates
10:18

Photodiode-Based Optical Imaging for Recording Network Dynamics with Single-Neuron Resolution in Non-Transgenic Invertebrates

Published on: July 9, 2020

3.4K
An Enhanced Green Fluorescence Protein-based Assay for Studying Neurite Outgrowth in Primary Neurons
08:02

An Enhanced Green Fluorescence Protein-based Assay for Studying Neurite Outgrowth in Primary Neurons

Published on: October 19, 2019

7.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 22, 2026

Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond
08:08

Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond

Published on: June 24, 2015

12.1K
Photodiode-Based Optical Imaging for Recording Network Dynamics with Single-Neuron Resolution in Non-Transgenic Invertebrates
10:18

Photodiode-Based Optical Imaging for Recording Network Dynamics with Single-Neuron Resolution in Non-Transgenic Invertebrates

Published on: July 9, 2020

3.4K
An Enhanced Green Fluorescence Protein-based Assay for Studying Neurite Outgrowth in Primary Neurons
08:02

An Enhanced Green Fluorescence Protein-based Assay for Studying Neurite Outgrowth in Primary Neurons

Published on: October 19, 2019

7.2K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Information Theory
  • Computational Biology

Background:

  • Neurons exhibit Poissonian spiking statistics.
  • Neuronal communication may involve switching firing intensities.
  • This resembles the optimal continuous-time Poisson channel.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Analyze the efficiency of neuronal firing intensity switching.
  • Apply information theory to neurobiology.
  • Investigate information capacity under metabolic constraints.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized classical information-theoretic results.
  • Analyzed transmission efficiency from neurobiological perspectives.
  • Examined ultimate limits and achievable bounds on performance.

Main Results:

  • Information capacity was analyzed under metabolic cost constraints.
  • Achievable performance bounds were determined for rates below capacity.
  • Discussed optimal experimentally measurable quantities.

Conclusions:

  • Neuronal signaling efficiency can be understood through information theory.
  • Metabolic costs significantly impact information transmission limits.
  • Identified key parameters for future experimental validation.