Physiology of Tuberous Electrosensory Systems

Glossary Amplitude modulation Refers to a signal in which changes in amplitude carry sensory information. Corollary discharge Refers to a copy of a motor command that is sent from motor areas to sensory areas in the brain. It is often used to predict and eliminate sensory responses to self-generated stimuli. Electrosense Ability to detect electric fields. A passive electrosense is one in which external electric fields are detected, whereas an active electrosense is one in which self-generated electric fields are detected. Feedback Refers to projections from central brain areas back to more peripheral sensory areas. Frequency modulation Refers to a signal in which changes in instantaneous frequency carry sensory information. Information theory Refers to the mathematical theory of communication developed by Claude Shannon that is used in a variety of applications today. Neural code Refers to the patterns of neural activity and transformations by which sensory input to motor outputs to give rise to behavioral responses by the organism. Phase locking Refers to the tendency of certain neurons to fire at a preferred phase of a periodic signal. Rate code Refers to a neural code in which information is carried solely by the firing rate (i.e., the number of action potentials per unit time) of a neuron. Temporal code Refers to a neural code in which information is carried by the specific timings of action potentials.