From Neurone to Brain 5

The firing frequency signals stimulus intensity and its changes over time.

Rate coding is the timing and contraction of a discrete population of muscle fibers firing from the motor neuron.

The spatial location of the afferent neuron and the modality of the stimulus are all used to encode information.

Sparse coding is energy efficient and is the accurate encoding of a given feature being specified by a few neurons. It uses a single class of sensory receptors and its afferents are necessary and sufficient to account for each type of sensation.

Population coding is when there is activity in an ensemble of cells. It uses several types of afferents to produce a given sensation.

Temporal coding is when neurons fire at very precise times and can be widely distributed in the brain, this is thought to be important in perception, attention and memory.

Slowly adapting receptors respond to a protracted stimulus for the duration of the stimulus giving a static/tonic response.

Rapidly adapting receptors respond briefly to a constant stimulus as they become insensitive and show dynamic/phasic responses. They are used to respond to changes in stimulus intensity.

The firing rate…