Temporal Coding Review Article by Cariani and Baker

In this review of temporal coding in sensory systems, Peter Cariani and Janet M. Baker assemble evidence that timing-based codes carry rich information.

Historically, temporal coding has been framed from two angles: information-theoretic work that asks how much capacity a code affords, and function-based work that asks how signals map onto behaviorally relevant features. Cariani and Baker emphasize the functional perspective, defining temporal codes as patterns where information resides in spike timing. They group codes around three anchors: (1) average firing rate, (2) waveform shape, and (3) onset latency, and situate these within a broader taxonomy of #neuro/codes.

They argue that stimuli can be recast in neural terms across levels—from low-level pixels to higher-level concepts—yielding a neural isomorphism of the external world. Temporal codes are especially evident for time-varying inputs, making auditory cortex a natural showcase. The review catalogs timing-based representations across modalities: audition, mechanoreception, electroreception, vision, chemical senses (gustation and olfaction), cutaneous senses (pain, itch, temperature), proprioception, and movement. The authors close by noting implications for artificial systems that aim to leverage temporal structure.