Successive spike times predicted by a stochastic neuronal model with a variable input signal.

Abstract

Two different stochastic processes are used to model the evolution of the membrane voltage of a neuron exposed to a time-varying input signal. The first process is an inhomogeneous Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process and its first passage time through a constant threshold is used to model the first spike time after the signal onset. The second process is a Gauss-Markov process identified by a particular mean function dependent on the first passage time of the first process. It is shown that the second process is also of a diffusion type. The probability density function of the maximum between the first passage time of the first and the second process is considered to approximate the distribution of the second spike time. Results obtained by simulations are compared with those following the numerical and asymptotic approximations. A general equation to model successive spike times is given. Finally, examples with specific input signals are provided.