Estimation of Parameters for a Model of Transmitter Release at Synapses

Abstract

Models for the release of transmitter in response to nerve impulses were considered assuming that quanta of transmitter are released from some of n sites, and the probability of release from any site being p. The quantal size is either a constant or is distributed as a normal or a .gamma. variate. Observations on both spontaneous potentials and evoked potentials were used to obtain moment estimates of n and p. Large sample estimates of the standard errors of these estimates were given.