single_cell_parser ❭ cell ❭ Cell ❭ distance_between_pts

Cell.distance_between_pts

single_cell_parser.cell.Cell.distance_between_pts(sec1, x1, sec2, x2)

Computes the path length between two points.

Points are specified by either their locations, or by point IDs and section IDs.

Currently, this function uses the built-in NEURON method distance to compute the distances. Note that this approach may be inefficient for large numbers of synapses due to repeated computations. Additionally, the computed distances are approximate since NEURON calculates distances between the centers of segments.

Future improvements could include implementing a look-up table for pair-wise distances to enhance efficiency.

Parameters:

  • x1 (float | int) – Location or point ID of the first point.

  • x2 (float | int) – Location or point ID of the second point.

  • sec1 (Section | int) – Section or section ID containing the first point.

  • sec2 (Section | int) – Section or section ID containing the second point.

Returns:

The computed path length between the two points.

Return type:

float