Graphics Processing Unit-Accelerated Code for Computing Second-Order Wiener Kernels and Spike-Triggered Covariance

Sensory neuroscience seeks to understand and predict how sensory neurons respond to stimuli. Nonlinear components of neural responses are frequently characterized by the second-order Wiener kernel and the closely-related spike-triggered covariance (STC). Recent advances in data acquisition have made it increasingly common and computationally intensive to compute second-order Wiener kernels/STC matrices. In order to speed up this sort of analysis, we developed a graphics processing unit (GPU)-accelerated module that computes the second-order Wiener kernel of a system’s response to a stimulus. The generated kernel can be easily transformed for use in standard STC analyses. Our code speeds up such analyses by factors of over 100 relative to current methods that utilize central processing units (CPUs). It works on any modern GPU and may be integrated into many data analysis workflows. This module accelerates data analysis so that more time can be spent exploring parameter space and interpreting data.