The game motoneurons play
成果类型：
Article
署名作者：
Nowik, Irit
署名单位：
Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Hebrew University of Jerusalem
刊物名称：
GAMES AND ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR
ISSN/ISSBN：
0899-8256
DOI：
10.1016/j.geb.2008.04.016
发表日期：
2009
页码：
426-461
关键词：
摘要：
We offer a new game-theoretical approach to analyze the developmental competition between inotoneurons (motor-neurons) that innervate the same muscle. The size principle-stating that motoneurons with successively higher activation thresholds innervate successively larger portions of muscle-is thought to result from this competition. However, it was not known how. We define a game in which motoneurons compete to innervate a maximal number of muscle-fibers. Their strategies are their activity levels. We resolve an existing paradox of contradictory experimental data regarding the role of activity in this competition, explain the emergence of the size principle, and provide new experimentally testable predictions. We conclude that the time of winnings has a competitive value, Such that it is better to win more in later competitions. This conclusion has implications for economical systems. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.