Biophysical Journal 16: 891-895 (1976)
© 1976 the Biophysical Society

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Stevens, C F Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Stevens, C F

A comment on Martin's relation.

ABSTRACT

In the limit of slowly varying synaptic conductance changes, a quantity proportional to the quantal content of a synaptic potential is provided by Martin's formula: 1/(VO/Vp-1), where Vp is the peak amplitude of the synaptic potential and Vo is the synaptic equilibrium potential. If the synaptic conductance change is not slowly varying on the time scale of the postsynaptic cell's membrane time constant, Martin's formula overestimates the effects of nonlinear summation and provides an upper limit for the actual quantal content. In the limit of rapidly varying synaptic conductance changes the quantity ln(1/[1-Vp/Vo]) is proportional to the quantal content. This formula underestimates the effects of nonlinear summation and gives a lower limit for the quantal content for cases in which the synaptic conductance is not rapidly varying. These two formulas used together provide upper and lower bounds to the correction for nonlinear summation of postsynaptic potentials.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D Johnston and T. Brown Giant synaptic potential hypothesis for epileptiform activity Science, January 16, 1981; 211(4479): 294 - 297. [Abstract] [PDF]