Deconvolution improves the detection and quantification of spike transmission gain from spike trains

Accurate detection and quantification of spike transmission between neurons is essential for determining neural network mechanisms that govern cognitive functions. Using point process and conductance-based simulations, we found that existing methods for determining neuronal connectivity from spike times are highly affected by burst spiking activity, resulting in over- or underestimation of spike transmission. To improve performance, we developed a mathematical framework for decomposing the cross-correlation between two spike trains. We then devised a deconvolution-based algorithm for removing effects of second-order spike train statistics. Deconvolution removed the effect of burst spiking, improving the estimation of neuronal connectivity yielded by state-of-the-art methods. Application of deconvolution to neuronal data recorded from hippocampal region CA1 of freely-moving mice produced higher estimates of spike transmission, in particular when spike trains exhibited bursts. Deconvolution facilitates the precise construction of complex connectivity maps, opening the door to enhanced understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying brain function.