Mutual inhibition increases adaptation rate in an electrosensory system

Abstract

In the electrosensory system of mormyrid electric fish, responses of central neurons to sensory stimuli adapt to eliminate predictable sensory patterns. This adaptation has been shown to rely on synaptic plasticity. However, the rules of synaptic plasticity alone underestimate the experimentally observed rate of adaptation. In this simulation study, mutual inhibition between pairs of central neurons is shown to increase the adaptation rate into the realistic range. The simulations are based on in vitro experimental studies to provide the relevant anatomy, physiology, and rules of synaptic plasticity. The results are compared with rates of adaptation derived from in vivo experiments.