Estimating stimulus response latency

J Neurosci Methods. 1998 Sep 1;83(2):185-94. doi: 10.1016/s0165-0270(98)00075-2.

Abstract

Stimulus response latency is the delay in the onset of stimulus-evoked neuronal activity. We develop maximum likelihood and least squares estimators of stimulus response latency and present a comparison of the performance of these methods with estimators commonly used in the neuroscience literature. The formal statistical change-point estimation problem is nontrivial due to the inclusion of a 'nuisance parameter', the end of stationarity in the stimulus-evoked activity. Our results suggest that the automation of the estimation of stimulus response latency will benefit from the use of the maximum likelihood estimator.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials / physiology
  • Computer Simulation*
  • Electrophysiology / methods*
  • Least-Squares Analysis
  • Likelihood Functions
  • Models, Neurological*
  • Monte Carlo Method
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Poisson Distribution
  • Reaction Time / physiology*