A frequency-domain identification approach to the study of neuromuscular systems - a combined experimental and modelling study

Experimental investigation of the neuromuscular system involves not only analysis of continuous signals but also necessitates the study of sequences of action potentials recorded from individual neurones together with the interactions between several sequences. Trains of action potentials may be regarded as realisations of stochastic point processes and techniques for the identification of point process systems can provide valuable experimental tools for the investigation of neuromuscular systems. Computational methods are presented for estimating the finite Fourier transform of a point process, and the associated spectral estimation procedures are described. An example is presented to illustrate the application of linear point process model identification techniques to the muscle spindle receptor. Using this example, simulation techniques are applied to demonstrate that spectral estimates can provide valuable physiological insight