Subthreshold Dynamics in Periodically Stimulated Squid Giant Axons

Action potentials resulting from periodic stimulation of nerve axons occur at intervals that are irregular at moderate stimulation frequencies. Histograms of the intervals are multimodal, as seen in stochastic resonance. At higher stimulation frequencies, the action potentials are suppressed entirely, leaving only subthreshold dynamics. Return maps constructed from data show that both types of response are governed by the same deterministic one-dimensional description, with an unstable subthreshold fixed point largely accounting for the irregular intervals at moderate stimulation frequencies.