Response of Spiking Neurons to Correlated Inputs

Abstract

The effect of a temporally correlated afferent current on the firing rate of a leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) neuron is studied. This current is characterized in terms of rates, auto and cross-correlations, and correlation time scale ${\tau }_c$ of excitatory and inhibitory inputs. The output rate ${\nu }_{out}$ is calculated in the Fokker-Planck (FP) formalism in the limit of both small and large ${\tau }_c$ compared to the membrane time constant $\tau$ of the neuron. By simulations we check the analytical results, provide an interpolation valid for all ${\tau }_c$ and study the neuron's response to rapid changes in the correlation magnitude.

4 pages, 3 figures