Summary
The power spectral density of a modulated Poisson point process is derived, the results showing that modulation of the rate of the process introduces power only at those frequencies contained in the modulation, unlike the case of very “regular” carriers.
Signal transmission over multiple independent channels is briefly considered in terms of improving signal to noise ratio.
Some of the practical considerations of recovering modulation components are also considered in terms of sample size needed to achieve given levels of harmonic distortion.
Examples of the power spectra of the modulated discharges of the statocyst receptor neurons of the lobster (Homarus americanus) are presented, and are found to confirm the theoretical results.
The implications of the results for the significance of temporal patterning in neuronal discharges and the transmission of signals by neurons are discussed.
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Supported by P. H. S. Grants NB-2567 and NB-7421. Computer facilities were made available by a grant from the U. S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, AF-AFOSB-1221. Partly in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of Minnesota, 1969.
The author is presently at The Nobel Institute for Neurophysiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 60, Sweden on a NIH Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (1 FO 2 NS 41662-01 NSRB) until 1 July 1970.
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Knox, C.K. Signal transmission in random spike trains with applications to the statocyst neurons of the lobster. Kybernetik 7, 167–174 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289403
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289403