RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Simultaneous spike-time locking to multiple frequencies
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 149906
DO 10.1101/149906
A1 Fabian H. Sinz
A1 Carolin Sachgau
A1 Jörg Henninger
A1 Jan Benda
A1 Jan Grewe
YR 2017
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/06/14/149906.abstract
AB Phase locking of neural firing is ubiquitously observed in the brain and occurs when neurons fire at a particular phase of a periodic signal. Here we study in detail how spikes of single neurons can simultaneously lock to multiple distinct frequencies at the example of p-type electroreceptor afferents in the electrosensory system of the Gymnotiform weakly electric fish Apteronotus leptorhynchus. We identify key elements for multiple frequency locking, study its determining factors and limits, and provide concise mathematical models reproducing our main findings. Our findings provide another example how rate and temporal codes can coexist and complement each other in single neurons, and demonstrate that sensory coding in p-type electroreceptor afferents provides a much richer representation of the sensory environment than commonly assumed. Since the underlying mechanisms are not specific to the electrosensory system, our results could provide the basis for studying multiple-frequency locking in other systems.