Encoding models in a Coursera course

 Adrienne Fairhall on encoding models:

What is the approporiate measure of response? What is the stimulus? What is the relationship between them? 

Key idea for encoders: We want to find dimensions of the stimulus (stimulus parameter) along which the response varies.

In general there are a multitude of different stimulus parameters that could affect a neuron's response. Part of designing a good experiment involves picking a natural set of parameters to investigate while holding all others as constant as possible. With neurons in lower cortical areas, it is often relatively easy to figure out what parameters are important (e.g., the location of a spot of light for a neuron in LGN). In higher cortical areas, however, it can be quite difficult to understand exactly what parameter of a stimulus a neuron is tuned to.

The key is to understand the relationship between the stimulus and the response and pick the most meaningful and relevant parameters to study