On Tue, 24 Oct 2000, mike wrote:
> Also, i was led to believe that they are 2 different things, despite the
> similarity their name would imply. Is there a simple difference between
> the two?
Hi Mike,
a rate code averages the spike rate over a certain interval of time,
whereas a time code only considers the interval between two given
spikes. This is a very important distinction, since a time code requires
a precise synchronization of the involved neurons, whereas a rate code is
less vulnerable to stochastic effects concerning the spike timing at the
cost of a lower temporal resolution.
IMHO the nervous system is using both principles depending on the
requirements of the specific task.
Greetings, Leo
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ralph Leonhardt (Dipl.-Biol.) Tel.: +49 (0)234 322 5559
Inst. f. Neuroinformatik, Geb. ND 04/297 Fax: +49 (0)234 321 4209
Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum
D-44780 Bochum, Germany
E-mail: ralph.leonhardt at neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de
URL: http://www.neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/PEOPLE/leo/top.html