Abstract
The description of the firing pattern of respiratory neurons presented here is based on extracellular recordings and directed to the possible influence (facilitating of inhibiting effect) that the neuron might have upon others (output) as well as to the extend of influences that are received from other neurons (input). Developing such a description the spike generating mechanism of the neuron was in a first approach characterized by a frequency modulated gamma distribution. Using this approach an acceptable match between calculated and measured interspike-interval distribution was found although mostly not statistically significant. This non-significancy is most probably due to the choice of the simple gamma distribution as a first approach. However, applying this description it seems possible to retrieve statistical information about the interaction between neurons from extracellular recordings.
Based on this description it is proposed to use modal spike frequency as well as the variance of the interspike interval distribution as estimates for the activity and the extent of activation of the neuron.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cohen, M. I.: Discharge patterns of brainstem respiratory neurons in relation to carbon dioxide tension. J. Neurophysiol.31, 142–165 (1968)
Folgering, H. Th. M., Smolders, F. D. J.: The steady state response of brainstem respiratory neuron activity to various levels of\(P_{A{\text{,CO}}_2 }\) and\(P_{{\text{A,O}}_2 }\). Pflügers Arch.383, 9–17 (1979)
Koepchen, H. P.: Quantitative approach to neural control of ventilation. In: Acid base homeostasis of the brain extracellular fluid and the respiratory control system (H. H. Loeschcke, ed.). Stuttgart: Thieme 1976
Smolders, F. D. J., Folgering, H. Th. M., Bernards, J. A.: Phrenic nerve activity as a measure of ventilation in the paralysed cat. Pflügers Arch.359, 157–169 (1975)
Webber, C. L., Peiss, C. N.: Interaction of respiratory cell discharge patterns and spontaneous respiratory rate. Am. J. Physiol.228, 1384–1392 (1975)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Smolders, F.D.J., Folgering, H.T.M. Description of the firing pattern of respiratory neurons by frequency modulated interspike interval distributions. Pflügers Arch. 383, 1–8 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00584468
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00584468