@article{Koumura2014PlosOne,
abstract = {A dendritic spine is a very small structure (∼0.1 mm 3 ) of a neuron that processes input timing information. Why are spines so small? Here, we provide functional reasons; the size of spines is optimal for information coding. Spines code input timing information by the probability of Ca 2+ increases, which makes robust and sensitive information coding possible. We created a stochastic simulation model of input timing-dependent Ca 2+ increases in a cerebellar Purkinje cell's spine. Spines used probability coding of Ca 2+ increases rather than amplitude coding for input timing detection via stochastic facilitation by utilizing the small number of molecules in a spine volume, where information per volume appeared optimal. Probability coding of Ca 2+ increases in a spine volume was more robust against input fluctuation and more sensitive to input numbers than amplitude coding of Ca 2+ increases in a cell volume. Thus, stochasticity is a strategy by which neurons robustly and sensitively code information.},
author = {Koumura, Takuya and Urakubo, Hidetoshi and Ohashi, Kaoru and Fujii, Masashi and Kuroda, Shinya},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0099040},
journal = {PLoS ONE},
month = {jun},
number = {6},
pages = {e99040},
title = {{Stochasticity in Ca2+ Increase in Spines Enables Robust and Sensitive Information Coding}},
url = {http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0099040},
volume = {9},
day = {16},
year = {2014}
}