Fast-slow analysis as a technique for understanding the neuronal response to current ramps

This study is motivated by data from olfactory bulb dopamine neurons, where both fast ramp (tens of milliseconds) and slow ramp (tens of seconds) protocols are used to understand the spiking profiles of the cells. The slow ramps generate experimental bifurcation diagrams with the applied current as a bifurcation parameter, thereby establishing asymptotic spiking activity patterns. The faster ramps elicit purely transient behavior that is of relevance to most physiological inputs, which are short in duration. The two protocols together provide a broader understanding of the neuron ’s spiking profile and the role that slowly activating ion channels can play.
Source: Journal of Computational Neuroscience - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research