Spike timing in the mammalian visual system

Evidence is accumulating for the existence of mechanisms that create and detect synchrony among action potentials on short time scales both within and between neurons. Progress is most rapid in the retina, the lateral geniculate nucleus, and cortical slices, where signal flow is better understood or more manipulable. The debate over the functional relevance of spike timing in cortex has gained substance from new computational models but remains unresolved.