Coding Properties of Two Classes of Afferent Nerve Fibers: High-Frequency Electroreceptors in the Electric Fish, Eigenmannia

Abstract

THE PROPOSITION THAT neurons can encode information about the intensity of stimuli in other ways than by the familiar gradation of intervals between impulses has been put forward (5, 6, 12). Perkel and Bullock (23) catalog the known and the candidate codes by which neurons can represent information in streams of nerve impulses. For none of these, other than the familiar frequency coders, is a quantitative characterization available of the behavior of the impulse train as a function of intensity.