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Related Concept Videos

Action Potentials01:41

Action Potentials

Overview
Long-term Potentiation01:25

Long-term Potentiation

Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Hebbian LTP
LTP can occur when presynaptic neurons...
Long-term Potentiation01:35

Long-term Potentiation

Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre- and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Integration of Synaptic Events01:28

Integration of Synaptic Events

Synaptic integration mainly includes the summation of graded potentials. Graded potentials, regardless of their type, cause subtle alterations in membrane voltage, resulting in either depolarization or hyperpolarization. These incremental changes, when combined or summed, can propel the neuron toward its threshold. Consider, for example, a membrane experiencing a +15 mV shift, causing it to depolarize from -70 mV to -55 mV. In this scenario, graded potentials govern the membrane's ability to...
Action Potential: Phases of Stimulation01:28

Action Potential: Phases of Stimulation

The action potential is a complex electrical event that occurs in excitable cells, such as neurons and muscle cells. It consists of several distinct phases, each with specific characteristics.
Resting Phase:
In this phase, the cell's membrane is at its resting potential, typically around -70 millivolts (mV) for neurons. Inside the cell, there is a higher concentration of potassium ions (K+) and a lower concentration of sodium ions (Na+). Voltage-gated sodium channels are closed, and...
Propagation of Action Potentials01:23

Propagation of Action Potentials

The propagation of an action potential refers to the process by which a nerve impulse, or "action potential," travels along a neuron.
Neurons (nerve cells) have a resting membrane potential, with a slightly negative charge inside compared to outside. This is maintained by ion channels, such as sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) channels, which control the flow of ions. When a stimulus, like a touch or a signal from another neuron, triggers the neuron, sodium channels open, allowing sodium ions to...

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Electrophysiological and Morphological Characterization of Neuronal Microcircuits in Acute Brain Slices Using Paired Patch-Clamp Recordings
10:24

Electrophysiological and Morphological Characterization of Neuronal Microcircuits in Acute Brain Slices Using Paired Patch-Clamp Recordings

Published on: January 10, 2015

Sparse and powerful cortical spikes.

Jason Wolfe1, Arthur R Houweling, Michael Brecht

  • 1Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany. jason.wolfe@bccn-berlin.de

Current Opinion in Neurobiology
|April 20, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cortical networks exhibit sparse, precisely timed activity. Researchers are exploring how single neuron spikes influence network sensitivity, impacting neural coding schemes.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • Cortical networks display heterogeneous, sparse, and precisely timed activity.
  • The functional roles of sparseness and precise spike timing remain under investigation.
  • Understanding developmental and synaptic mechanisms shaping neuronal discharge patterns is advancing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional significance of sparse and precisely timed neuronal activity in cortical networks.
  • To explore the mechanisms underlying the high sensitivity of cortical networks to single neuron action potentials.
  • To determine if this sensitivity is a general property of the cortex and its implications for neural coding.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of neuronal discharge patterns in cortical networks.
  • Single-cell stimulation experiments to assess network sensitivity.
  • Investigating developmental and synaptic mechanisms shaping neuronal activity.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests highly specialized, selective, and abstract cortical response properties.
  • Single-cell stimulation reveals significant network sensitivity to specific single neuron action potentials.
  • The precise mechanisms and generality of this sensitivity are not yet fully understood.

Conclusions:

  • Cortical networks are unexpectedly sensitive to individual spikes, constraining neural coding schemes.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the origins and implications of this spike sensitivity.
  • The findings highlight the complexity of information processing in cortical circuits.