title: Intracellular nonlinear frequency response measurements in the cockroach tactile spine neuron.
abstract: The threshold of the cockroach tactile neuron increases strongly with depolarization by a process involving at least two time constants. This effect is probably responsible for the rapid and complete adaptation of the neuron's response to step inputs. A technique for intracellular recording and stimulation of the neuron has recently been established and this allows direct observation of the dynamic response of the neuronal encoder. A white noise stimulus was used to modulate the membrane potential of the neuron. The first-order frequency response function between membrane potential and action potential discharge could be explained by a variable threshold model with two time constants. Second-order frequency response functions could be accounted for by a Wiener cascade model. The dynamic nonlinear behavior of the encoder can therefore be explained by a unidirectional threshold which increases linearly and dynamically with membrane potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Stockbridge
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Torkkeli
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: French
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D003058:Cockroaches; D008433:Mathematics; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*