title: The rate of information transfer of naturalistic stimulation by graded potentials.
abstract: We present a method to measure the rate of information transfer for any continuous signals of finite duration without assumptions. After testing the method with simulated responses, we measure the encoding performance of Calliphora photoreceptors. We find that especially for naturalistic stimulation the responses are nonlinear and noise is nonadditive, and show that adaptation mechanisms affect signal and noise differentially depending on the time scale, structure, and speed of the stimulus. Different signaling strategies for short- and long-term and dim and bright light are found for this graded system when stimulated with naturalistic light changes.
authors.affiliation: Physiological Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK. mj216@cus.cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Juusola
authors.forename: Gonzalo G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: de Polavieja
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004175:Diptera / Q000502:physiology*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D017956:Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*