Information processing during transient responses in the crayfish visual system

We analyzed sustaining fiber responses in the crayfish visual system to light pulses using information processing techniques. The light pulse stimuli elicited a transient and a steady-state component in the EPSP input and in the firing rate of the spike train output. The overall information transfer of the system was very low (∼10 −4), with a sharp increase during the transient portion of the response followed by a steady decrease. The information transfer dynamics are consistent with a simple spike generator model that depends explicitly on stimulus changes. The present analysis also corroborates the observed light reflex behavior.