Models and properties of power-law adaptation in neural systems

J Neurophysiol. 2006 Aug;96(2):826-33. doi: 10.1152/jn.00134.2006. Epub 2006 Apr 26.

Abstract

Many biological systems exhibit complex temporal behavior that cannot be adequately characterized by a single time constant. This dynamics, observed from single channels up to the level of human psychophysics, is often better described by power-law rather than exponential dependences on time. We develop and study the properties of neural models with scale-invariant, power-law adaptation and contrast them with the more commonly studied exponential case. Responses of an adapting firing-rate model to constant, pulsed, and oscillating inputs in both the power-law and exponential cases are considered. We construct a spiking model with power-law adaptation based on a nested cascade of processes and show that it can be "programmed" to produce a wide range of time delays. Finally, within a network model, we use power-law adaptation to reproduce long-term features of the tilt aftereffect.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Electrophysiology
  • Humans
  • Models, Neurological*
  • Models, Statistical*
  • Neural Networks, Computer
  • Neurons / physiology