Biophysical Journal 71: 2394-2403 (1996)
© 1996 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 Migliore, M Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Migliore, M

Modeling the attenuation and failure of action potentials in the dendrites of hippocampal neurons.

National Research Council, Institute for Interdisciplinary Applications of Physics, Palermo, Italy. michele@risc2.iaif.pa.cnr.it

ABSTRACT

We modeled two different mechanisms, a shunting conductance and a slow sodium inactivation, to test whether they could modulate the active propagation of a train of action potentials in a dendritic tree. Computer simulations, using a compartmental model of a pyramidal neuron, suggest that each of these two mechanisms could account for the activity-dependent attenuation and failure of the action potentials in the dendrites during the train. Each mechanism is shown to be in good qualitative agreement with experimental findings on somatic or dendritic stimulation and on the effects of hyperpolarization. The conditions under which branch point failures can be observed, and a few experimentally testable predictions, are presented and discussed.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Makarova, J. M. Ibarz, S. Canals, and O. Herreras A Steady-State Model of Spreading Depression Predicts the Importance of an Unknown Conductance in Specific Dendritic Domains Biophys. J., June 15, 2007; 92(12): 4216 - 4232. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Rabinowitch and I. Segev The Interplay Between Homeostatic Synaptic Plasticity and Functional Dendritic Compartments J Neurophysiol, July 1, 2006; 96(1): 276 - 283. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. B. Roberts, J. A. Best, and K. J. Suter Dendritic Processing of Excitatory Synaptic Input in Hypothalamic Gonadotropin Releasing-Hormone Neurons Endocrinology, March 1, 2006; 147(3): 1545 - 1555. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. P. Wong, G. Marchese, M. A. Casu, A. Ribeiro-da-Silva, A. C. Cuello, and Y. De Koninck Loss of Presynaptic and Postsynaptic Structures Is Accompanied by Compensatory Increase in Action Potential-Dependent Synaptic Input to Layer V Neocortical Pyramidal Neurons in Aged Rats J. Neurosci., November 15, 2000; 20(22): 8596 - 8606. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. J. Mackenzie and T. H. Murphy High Safety Factor for Action Potential Conduction Along Axons But Not Dendrites of Cultured Hippocampal and Cortical Neurons J Neurophysiol, October 1, 1998; 80(4): 2089 - 2101. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. M. Colbert, J. C. Magee, D. A. Hoffman, and D. Johnston Slow Recovery from Inactivation of Na+ Channels Underlies the Activity-Dependent Attenuation of Dendritic Action Potentials in Hippocampal CA1 Pyramidal Neurons J. Neurosci., September 1, 1997; 17(17): 6512 - 6521. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H.-Y. Jung, T. Mickus, and N. Spruston Prolonged Sodium Channel Inactivation Contributes to Dendritic Action Potential Attenuation in Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons J. Neurosci., September 1, 1997; 17(17): 6639 - 6646. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Tsubokawa and W. N. Ross Muscarinic Modulation of Spike Backpropagation in the Apical Dendrites of Hippocampal CA1 Pyramidal Neurons J. Neurosci., August 1, 1997; 17(15): 5782 - 5791. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]