Is spike-frequency adaptation good or bad for a neuron? · Lobeworks/17

Neither: it is a computational property, close to a filter in time.

Is spike-frequency adaptation good or bad for a neuron?

Neither: it is a computational property, close to a filter in time. A cell that does not adapt holds 200, 200, 200 Hz for as long as the stimulus lasts, which suits a signal that must be sustained and precise. A cell that adapts falls from 200 towards 40 Hz under the same stimulus, so it signals mostly the onset or a change and quiets down while the stimulus stays, much like a high-pass filter.