Comparison of ion current noise predicted from different models of the sodium channel gating mechanism in nerve membrane.

The theoretical power density spectrum S(f) of ion current noise is calculated from several models of the sodium channel gating mechanism in nerve membrane. Sodium ion noise experimental data from the frog node of Ranvier [Conti, F., et al. (1976), J. Physiol. (London) 262:699] is used as a test of the theoretical results. The motivation for recent modeling has been evidence for a coupling between sodium activation and inactivation from voltage clamp data. The two processes are independent of one another in the Hodgkin and Huxley (HH) model [Hodgkin A.L., Huxley, A.F. (1952), J. Physiol. (London) 117:500]. The noise data is consistent with HH, as noted by Conti et al. (1976). The theoretical results given here appear to indicate that only one case of coupling models is also consistent with the noise data.