Display technique using time-dependent scatter diagrams for the study of changing relative timings of three spike trains: evaluation of functional connectivity in a local area of the nervous system.
The relative timings of impulses caused by two neurons can be studied using cross-correlation techniques or the related techniques of the joint peristimulus-time histogram and the time-dependent correlation function. Analysis of the relative timings of several related neurons is important to the study of the dynamics, since we consider functional connectivity to be partially related to the dynamics. Functional connectivity changes of short duration reflect physiological functions rather than changes of synaptic connections. The relative timings of impulses are considered to reflect functional connectivity. Using the joint impulse configuration scatter diagram (JICSD) proposed by Perkel, a time-dependent scatter diagram (TDSD) is calculated to analyze the change of functional connectivity. The JICSD displays the long-time average of relative timings of impulses or the functional connectivity of three interconnected neurons. We generated JICSDs for short durations and we subsequently generated TDSDs by arranging JICSDs in chronological order. The change of a "snowflake pattern" of each JICSD was interpreted in terms of change of the functional connectivity. We propose a method for analyzing the changing functional connectivity among three neurons.
Hamada
Y
Y
Department of Physiology, Wakayama Medical College, Japan. hamacom@mri1.mri.tmd.ac.jp
Tamai
Y
Y
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats / Q000235:genetics; D003626:Data Display; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009424:Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D013997:Time Factors