Stochastic resonance in nonlinear transmission of spike signals: An exact model and an application to the neuron

Nonlinear transmission of trains of pulses enhanced by noise addition through stochastic resonance is studied. First, an exact model is presented which describes stochastic resonance in the transmission of a periodic train of pulses by a threshold system in the presence of arbitrarily distributed white noise. Second, a simulation demonstrates a novel possibility of stochastic resonance in the neuron, in the nonlinear transmission of spike trains assisted by noise. Third, it is shown that the exact model can provide a satisfactory approximation of stochastic resonance in the neuron, as the reported effect is mainly sensitive to correlations at a dominant time scale formed by the coherent period, and to the overall input signal amplitude relative to the threshold of the nonlinearity. The present results enlarge the scope of the effect of noise-enhanced transmission of signals through stochastic resonance, and also of the possible mechanisms for neural information processing.