February 2, 2025

Power Spectral Analysis of
Voltage-Gated Channels in Neurons

I have co-published a research article with Lee Moore titled "Power Spectral Analysis of Voltage-Gated Channels in Neurons" in Frontiers in Neuroinformatics.

Understanding the behavior of neuronal membranes is crucial for decoding neuronal information processing. Our study used frequency domain analysis to explore voltage-gated ion channel responses and random fluctuations, offering new perspectives on neuronal dynamics.

Inspired by Fourier’s pioneering work, we employed linear and nonlinear approaches, including Quadratic Sinusoidal Analysis (QSA), to characterize neuronal responses to multi-frequency signals. Moving beyond traditional constant stimuli, this method reveals how neurons handle complex inputs.

The intrinsic noise in neurons, caused by the stochastic opening and closing of ion channels, was explored using stochastic Markov models. We analyzed how this noise interacts with nonlinear channel properties, showing that neuronal noise is not simply random but influenced by the underlying voltage-dependent mechanisms.

A key contribution is our introduction of the $p_2$ model, a simplified yet powerful framework that avoids the exponentiation required in the classic $n^4$ Hodgkin-Huxley model. Despite its simplicity, $p_2$ replicates similar neuronal behaviors, making it a valuable tool for neuronal research.

Our findings reveal a striking link between intrinsic noise and nonlinear responses, underscoring their critical role in neural computation and action potential generation.