Single-trial estimation of neuronal firing rates: From single-neuron spike trains to population activity

We present a method to estimate the neuronal firing rate from single-trial spike trains. The method, based on convolution of the spike train with a fixed kernel function, is calibrated by means of simulated spike trains for a representative selection of realistic dynamic rate functions. We derive rules for the optimized use and performance of the kernel method, specifically with respect to an effective choice of the shape and width of the kernel functions. An application of our technique to the on-line, single-trial reconstruction of arm movement trajectories from multiple single-unit spike trains using dynamic population vectors illustrates a possible use of the proposed method.

[1]  G L GERSTEIN,et al.  An approach to the quantitative analysis of electrophysiological data from single neurons. , 1960, Biophysical journal.

[2]  G H Hesselmans,et al.  Spectro-temporal interpretation of activity patterns of auditory neurons. , 1989, Mathematical biosciences.

[3]  E. Parzen.  On Estimation of a Probability Density Function and Mode , 1962 .

[4]  A. Grinvald,et al.  Dynamics of Ongoing Activity: Explanation of the Large Variability in Evoked Cortical Responses , 1996, Science.

[5]  A Aertsen,et al.  Coherent activity in neuronal populations: analysis and interpretation , 1987 .

[6]  A. Aertsen,et al.  Representation of cooperative firing activity among simultaneously recorded neurons. , 1985, Journal of neurophysiology.

[7]  A. Szűcs,et al.  Applications of the spike density function in analysis of neuronal firing patterns , 1998, Journal of Neuroscience Methods.

[8]  A B Schwartz,et al.  Direct cortical representation of drawing. , 1994, Science.

[9]  Attila Szücs,et al.  Applications of the spike density function in analysis of neuronal firing patterns , 1998 .

[10]  M K Habib,et al.  Dynamics of neuronal firing correlation: modulation of "effective connectivity". , 1989, Journal of neurophysiology.

[11]  Miguel A. L. Nicolelis,et al.  Methods for Neural Ensemble Recordings , 1998 .

[12]  Sonja Grün,et al.  Detecting unitary events without discretization of time , 1999, Journal of Neuroscience Methods.

[13]  D. W. Scott,et al.  Multivariate Density Estimation, Theory, Practice and Visualization , 1992 .

[14]  A. Aertsen,et al.  Spike synchronization and rate modulation differentially involved in motor cortical function. , 1997, Science.

[15]  H. Spitzer,et al.  Temporal encoding of two-dimensional patterns by single units in primate primary visual cortex. I. Stimulus-response relations. , 1990, Journal of neurophysiology.

[16]  C.C.A.M. Gielen,et al.  Sensory interpretation of neural activity patterns , 1988 .

[17]  H. Spitzer,et al.  Temporal encoding of two-dimensional patterns by single units in primate inferior temporal cortex. I. Response characteristics. , 1987, Journal of neurophysiology.

[18]  P. I. M. Johannesma.  NEURAL REPRESENTATION OF SENSORY STIMULI AND SENSORY INTERPRETATION OF NEURAL ACTIVITY , 1981 .

[19]  Miguel A. L. Nicolelis,et al.  Real-time control of a robot arm using simultaneously recorded neurons in the motor cortex , 1999, Nature Neuroscience.

[20]  A. Bowman,et al.  Applied smoothing techniques for data analysis : the kernel approach with S-plus illustrations , 1999 .

[21]  C. D. Kemp,et al.  Density Estimation for Statistics and Data Analysis , 1987 .

[22]  C. Gray,et al.  Cellular Mechanisms Contributing to Response Variability of Cortical Neurons In Vivo , 1999, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[23]  A P Georgopoulos,et al.  On the relations between the direction of two-dimensional arm movements and cell discharge in primate motor cortex , 1982, The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.

[24]  Arthur C. Sanderson,et al.  Adaptive Filtering of Neuronal Spike Train Data , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[25]  A B Schwartz,et al.  Motor cortical representation of speed and direction during reaching. , 1999, Journal of neurophysiology.