Chaos may enhance information transmission in the inferior olive.
Despite unique well characterized neuronal properties, such as extensive electrical coupling and low firing rates, the role of the inferior olive (IO), which is the source of the climbing fiber inputs to cerebellar Purkinje cells, is still controversial. We propose that the IO stochastically recodes the high-frequency information carried by its synaptic inputs into stochastic, low-rate spikes in its climbing fiber output. Computer simulations of realistic IO networks showed that moderate electrical coupling produced chaotic firing, which maximized the input-output mutual information. This "chaotic resonance" may allow rich error signals to reach individual Purkinje cells, even at low firing rates, allowing efficient cerebellar learning.
Schweighofer
Nicolas
N
Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, 2-2-2, Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan. nicolas@atr.co.jp
Doya
Kenji
K
Fukai
Hidekazu
H
Chiron
Jean Vianney
JV
Furukawa
Tetsuya
T
Kawato
Mitsuo
M
D000818:Animals; D003712:Dendrites / Q000502:physiology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology*; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D009847:Olivary Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000502:physiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology