Dependence of the spike-triggered average voltage on membrane response properties

The spike-triggered average voltage (STV) is an experimentally measurable quantity that is determined by both the membrane response properties and the statistics of the synaptic drive. Here, the form of the STV is modelled for neurons with three distinct types of subthreshold dynamics; passive decay, h-current sag, and damped oscillations. Analytical expressions for the STV are first obtained in the low-noise limit, identifying how the subthreshold dynamics of the cell affect its form. A second result is then derived that captures the power-law behaviour of the STV near the spike threshold. r 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.