In computational neuroscience, spiking neurons are often analyzed as computing devices that register bits of information, with each action potential carrying at most one bit of Shannon entropy. Here, I question this interpretation by using Landauer's principle to estimate an upper limit for the quantity of thermodynamic information that can be processed within a single action potential in a typical mammalian neuron. A straightforward calculation shows that an action potential in a typical mammalian cortical pyramidal cell can process up to approximately 3.4 · 1011 bits of thermodynamic information, or about 4.9 · 1011 bits of Shannon entropy. This result suggests that an action potential can, in principle, carry much more than a single bit of Shannon entropy.

中文翻译：

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动作电位热力学信息含量的上限


在计算神经科学中，尖峰神经元通常被分析为记录信息位的计算设备，每个动作电位最多携带一位香农熵。在这里，我通过使用兰道尔原理来估计典型哺乳动物神经元的单个动作电位内可以处理的热力学信息量的上限，从而对这种解释提出质疑。简单的计算表明，典型哺乳动物皮质锥体细胞的动作电位最多可以处理大约 3.4·1011 位的热力学信息，或大约 4.9·1011 位的香农熵。这一结果表明，原则上，动作电位可以携带比单个香农熵多得多的信息。