The rate coding response of a single peripheral sensory neuron in the asymptotic, near-equilibrium limit can be derived using information theory, asymptotic Bayesian statistics and a theory of complex systems. Almost no biological knowledge is required. The theoretical expression shows good agreement with spike-frequency adaptation data across different sensory modalities and animal species. The approach permits the discovery of a new neurophysiological equation and shares similarities with statistical physics.
Keywords: Asymptotic statistics; Complex systems; Information theory; Rate coding; Sensory adaptation; Sensory processing; Universality.