Stochastic modeling of the hypothalamic pulse generator activity

AC Camproux, JC Thalabard…�- American Journal of�…, 1994 - journals.physiology.org
AC Camproux, JC Thalabard, G Thomas
American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, 1994journals.physiology.org
Luteinizing hormone (LH) is released by the pituitary in discrete pulses. In the monkey, the
appearance of LH pulses in the plasma is invariably associated with sharp increases (ie,
volleys) in the frequency of the hypothalamic pulse generator electrical activity, so that
continuous monitoring of this activity by telemetry provides a unique means to study the
temporal structure of the mechanism generating the pulses. To assess whether the times of
occurrence and durations of previous volleys exert significant influence on the timing of the�…
Luteinizing hormone (LH) is released by the pituitary in discrete pulses. In the monkey, the appearance of LH pulses in the plasma is invariably associated with sharp increases (i.e, volleys) in the frequency of the hypothalamic pulse generator electrical activity, so that continuous monitoring of this activity by telemetry provides a unique means to study the temporal structure of the mechanism generating the pulses. To assess whether the times of occurrence and durations of previous volleys exert significant influence on the timing of the next volley, we used a class of periodic counting process models that specify the stochastic intensity of the process as the product of two factors: 1) a periodic baseline intensity and 2) a stochastic regression function with covariates representing the influence of the past. This approach allows the characterization of circadian modulation and memory range of the process underlying hypothalamic pulse generator activity, as illustrated by fitting the model to experimental data from two ovariectomized rhesus monkeys.
American Physiological Society