Effect of initial phase diversity on signal detection in excitable systems

Abstract

Undoubtedly, the sensory organs of biological systems have been evolved to accurately detect and locate the external stimuli, even if they are very weak. However, the mechanism underlying this ability is still not fully understood. Previously, it had been shown that stochastic resonance may be a good candidate to explain this ability, by which the response of a system to an external signal is amplified by the presence of noise. Recently, it is pointed out that the initial phase diversity in external signals can be also served as a simple and feasible mechanism for weak signal detection or amplification in excitable neurons. We here make a brief review on this progress. We will show that there are two kinds of effects of initial phase diversity: one is the phase disorder, i.e., the initial phases are different and static, and the other is the phase noise, i.e., the initial phases are time-varying like noise. Both cases show that initial phase diversity in subthreshold periodic signals can indeed play a constructive role in the emergence of sustained spiking activity. As initial phase diversity can mimic different arrival times from source signal to sensory organs, these findings may provide a cue for understanding the hunting behaviors of some biological systems.stochastic resonance, excitable neuron, phase noise, subthreshold signal Citation:Liang X M, Liu Z H. Effect of initial phase diversity on signal detection in excitable systems.

Double resonance in star networks of bistable units with disordered signals

“…Previous works on signal amplification have focused on identical signals; that is, the initial phases of the external signals are assumed to be the same. However, if the source of the signal is at different distances, the initial phases of received signals may be different, and such phase differences are found to be important for hunting prey in biological systems [24][25][26]. For instance, to determine the prey's angle, surface-feeding fish can discriminate different arrival times of a target signal between distributed lateral organs [27].…”

Weak periodic signal detection by sine-Wiener-noise-induced resonance in the FitzHugh–Nagumo neuron

“…Besides noise, many other factors have great influences on signal detection in nervous system. Like noise, initial phase diversity in external signal can be regard as another feasible mechanism for weak signal detection (Liang and Liu 2016). Feedback and time delay also play a significant role in resonance and signal detection (Wang et al 2017a, b;Yao et al 2016).…”

Subthreshold Periodic Signal Detection by Bounded Noise‐Induced Resonance in the FitzHugh–Nagumo Neuron

“…In particular, the combined effects of correlated bounded noises and weak periodic signal were investigated in a recent study, and related results suggest that bounded noise can enhance the detection of external signals [49,50]. Although the effects of the time-varying initial phase of the received signal on signal detection have been reported in excitable systems using phase noise to mimic the timevarying initial phase of the target signal [1,[51][52][53], the related studies mainly focus on target signals and take no account of rapidly fluctuating background signals received by neurons. To the best of our knowledge, the resonance behavior and signal detection and amplification in rapidly fluctuating background signals have not previously been studied.…”