The extreme degeneracy of inputs in firing a neuron leads to loss of information when neuronal firing is examined

Possible combinations of inputs in the order of 10 100 can fire (axonal spike or action potential) a neuron that has nearly 10 4 inputs (dendritic spines). This extreme degeneracy of inputs that can fire a neuron is associated with significant loss of information when examination is limited to neuronal firing. Excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) propagating from remote locations on the dendritic tree attenuate as they arrive at the axon hillock, depending on the distance they propagate. Moreover, some EPSPs from remote locations will not even reach the axonal hillock. In this context, an operational mechanism at the location of origin of these EPSPs is necessary to preserve information for efficient storage. Evidence for information storage or retrieval can be observed only as the tip of an iceberg of operational mechanisms occurring at a narrow window when sub-threshold activated (before learning) neurons fire during these events. Even firing of a set of neurons does not identify the location where information is stored due to the extreme degeneracy of inputs that can contribute potentials to cross the threshold and fire those neurons. In summary, it is necessary to identify initial locations where specific inputs to a neuron arrive where information is expected to make retrieval-efficient changes.