High resolution visual information via a gap junction-mediated spike order code

Abstract

Gap junctions promote correlated spiking between coupled neurons. Recording from pairs of coupled retinal ganglion cells, we find that differences in firing rate between coupled neurons dictates which cell leads correlated spike-pairs, and that the precise temporal order of spike activity between pairs of cells changes depending on the spatial position of a visual stimulus. We thus demonstrate a spike order spatial code for encoding sensory information.