Markov Coding Strategy of the Simple Spiking Model of Auditory Neuron

The present paper is devoted to the exploration of the properties of the simple spiking neuron model and quantification of the information transfer rate, which the separate neuron can achieve in accordance with this model. As it results from the described reasoning, the model response in a form of the spike sequence is in fact a stationary first-order Markov chain of certain non-overlapping sub-sequences, which, being taken separately, encode the incoming signal on the corresponding time intervals. This observation comes as a direct consequence of the finite precision of the spike registration process at higher levels of neural signal processing. When being applied to the modeling of auditory apparatus the reported result has important implications to the algorithmic interpretation of hearing physiology. Namely it gives a reason to define elementary analysis intervals of incoming stimulation. Additionally it offers a method of quantification of the information transfer rate of the auditory neuron in accordance with the depicted here Markov coding strategy.