Reliability and stochastic synchronization in type I vs. type II neural oscillators

Neural reliability and stochastic synchronization are remarkable features of real neurons with important consequences for neural computation. Both phenomena are general properties of any device with a resetting threshold, as neurons are. However, certain characteristics of the single neuron dynamics can notably improve neural reliability and stochastic synchronization. In particular, we show that, under the same conditions, neural resonators are more reliable and more susceptible to synchronize by stochastic inputs than are neural integrators. This suggests that neurons conveying sensory information in a spike-timing code are likely to have evolved into resonators, as supported by our recent experimental studies on reliability and stochastic synchronization in the olfactory bulb. −π −π/2 0 π/2 π 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 type I phase difference (rad) −π −π/2 0 π/2 π 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 type II phase difference (rad) 0 π/2 π 3π/2 2π −2 −1 0 1 2 n o rm al iz ed p h as e− sh ift 0 π/2 π 3π/2 2π −1 −0.5 0 0.5 1 0 π/2 π 3π/2 2π −2 −1 0 1 2 phase (rad) n o rm al iz ed p h as e− sh ift 0 π/2 π 3π/2 2π −1 −0.5 0 0.5 1 phase (rad)type Itype II References[1] H. L. Bryant and J. P. Segundo, J. Physiol 260 (1976) 279.[2] Z. F. Mainen and T. J. Sejnowski, Science 268 (1995) 1503.[3] J. Teramae and D. Tanaka, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93 (2004) 204103.[4] D. S. Goldobin and A. Pikovsky, Phys. Rev. E 71 (2005) 126.[5] R. F. Galán, N. Fourcaud-Trocme, G. B. Ermentrout, and N. N. Urban, J. Neurosci. 26 (2006) 3646.[6] R. F. Galán, G. B. Ermentrout, and N. N. Urban, Sensors and Actuators B: 116(1-2), 168.[7] R. F. Galán, G. B. Ermentrout, and N. N. Urban, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94 (2005) 158101.[8] R. F. Galán, G. B. Ermentrout, and N. N. Urban, Neurocomp. 69 (2006) 1112.[9] J. Rinzel and B. Ermentrout, in Methods in Neuronal Modeling, 2nd ed.,(1998) , Chap. 7, p. 251.[10] T. Tateno and H. P. Robinson, J. Neurophysiol. 95 (2006) 2650. For complementary information visit: www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/rfgalan/home.htm