Simple and efficient auditory-nerve spike generation

Abstract

This brief paper documents a simple and efficient method to generate auditory-nerve spike trains for the purpose of simulating neural processes of auditory perception. In response to sound, each auditory nerve fiber carries information to the auditory brainstem in the form of a train of spikes (action potentials), the timing and rate of which reflect the sound. The generation process is usually approximated as Poisson process with a time-varying rate, further modified by refractory effects. The purpose, here, is to simulate spike generation as a time- and interval-dependent thinning process applied to a homogenous Poisson process, allowing for fast generation, cheap storage, and unlimited temporal resolution.