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Statistical analysis of dose‐response curves in extracellular electrophysiological studies of single neurons
Author(s) -
Pitts David K.,
Kelland Mark D.,
Shen RohYu,
Freeman Arthur S.,
Chiodo Louis A.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
synapse
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.809
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1098-2396
pISSN - 0887-4476
DOI - 10.1002/syn.890050405
Subject(s) - analysis of covariance , analysis of variance , locus coeruleus , covariance , statistics , polynomial regression , mathematics , electrophysiology , regression analysis , linear regression , neuroscience , biology , central nervous system
The application of polynomial regression and the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to dose‐response (DR) data derived from extracellular electrophysiological studies of midbrain dopamine neurons and noradrenergic locus coeruleus neurons in vivo is demonstrated and discussed. Third‐order polyomial regression was found to be a better method for estimating ED 50 values than probit analysis or linear regression. ANCOVA provides a more powerful statistical method than ANOVA for detecting significant differences in ED 50 values or DR curves when a confounding variable such as basal discharge rate is present. The methods of analysis presented herein should be useful in the analysis of other types of neurons in electrophysiol studies.