Synchronization of the neural response to noisy periodic synaptic input

The relationship between the timing of the synaptic inputs and the output spikes of leaky integrated and firing neurons with noisy periodic synaptic input is addressed using the recently developed integrated-input technique. The conditional output spike density in response to noisy periodic input is evaluated as a function of the initial phase of the inputs. This enables the phase transition matrix to be calculated, which relates the phase at which the output spike is generated to the initial phase of the inputs. The interspike interval histogram and the period histogram for the neural response to ongoing periodic input are then evaluated by using the leading eigenvector of this phase transition matrix. The dependence of the synchronization index of the neural response upon the number and amplitude of synaptic inputs, the membrane time constant, the average rate of inputs and their frequency of modulation is examined