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Neurobiology

Efficiency measures

Nature volume 439, pages 920–921 (2006)Cite this article

The nervous system translates sensory information into electrical impulses. The neural ‘code’ involved seems to represent natural sounds and images efficiently, using the smallest number of impulses.

Our perception of the outside world relies on the transformation of physical signals (such as light and sound) into a pattern of neural impulses, or spikes. These spikes are then transmitted to higher brain regions, where they are further transformed into other patterns of sensory spikes, and ultimately into the motor spikes that mediate behaviour. What is the relationship (the ‘neural code’) between these neural responses and the sensory signals they represent? Are there general principles underlying the neural code?

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  1. the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, 11724, New York, USA

    Michael R. DeWeese & Anthony Zador

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  1. Michael R. DeWeese
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  2. Anthony Zador
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DeWeese, M., Zador, A. Efficiency measures. Nature 439, 920–921 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/439920a

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