A mathematical model of the Pacinian corpuscle.

Abstract

This article describes a mathematical model of the Pacinian corpuscle based on the analysis of the available experimental data and on previous theoretical research. The model includes the main anatomofunctional constituents of the corpuscle: the capsula and the mechano-to-neural transduction; its structure accounts for the formation of the receptor potential and of the spikes on the nerve terminal. Comparison of the theoretical predictions with the experimental results, in response to different types of stimuli provides a substantial validation of the model and an explanation for the basic aspects of the transduction, in particular for: a) the receptor potential time course for isolated stimuli; b) the frequency response, in terms of receptor potential; c) the frequency threshold curve for the spikes; d) the firing rate, I.S.I. and P.S.T. histograms and the synchronization coefficient, in response to sustained sinusoidal inputs. Possible lines for future experimental research are suggested from the model predictions.