Modelling natural burst firing in nigral dopamine neurons

The natural burst firing observed in vivo in mesolimbic dopamine neurons is of great significance regarding these neurons' involvement in response to sensory stimuli associated with primary reward. The cellular mechanisms underlying a natural burst have been experimentally characterized previously and hypothesized to be caused by a calcium-sensitive inactivation of a potassium channel. We present a mathematical model of a mesolimbic neuron that demonstrates how such a mechanism can produce realistic bursting patterns, but only when combined with an appropriately timed membrane depolarization from an external source.