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Related Concept Videos

Graded Potential01:19

Graded Potential

Graded potentials are localized fluctuations in the cell membrane's electrical charge, commonly found in the dendrites of neurons. The magnitude of these potential changes depends on the strength of the initiating stimulus. In a membrane at its resting potential, a graded potential signifies a voltage shift either above -70 mV or below -70 mV.
Graded potentials fall into two categories: depolarizing and hyperpolarizing. Depolarizing graded potentials typically occur when sodium (Na+) or calcium...
Electrochemical Gradient and Channel Proteins: An Overview01:21

Electrochemical Gradient and Channel Proteins: An Overview

An electrochemical gradient is a fundamental concept in biology and chemistry. It regulates the movement of ions across cell membranes. This movement is influenced by two factors:
The electrical gradient: The electrical gradient across cell membranes refers to the difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a cell.  This difference drives the movement of ions towards or away from the cells. For instance, if the inside of the cell is more negatively charged relative to the...
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 Potential01:14

Action Potential

Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...
Action Potential01:14

Action Potential

Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation01:19

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

A postsynaptic neuron usually receives numerous impulses from several other presynaptic neurons. The axon hillock of the postsynaptic neuron integrates all these signals and determines the likelihood of firing an action potential.
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

A Simple Stimulatory Device for Evoking Point-like Tactile Stimuli: A Searchlight for LFP to Spike Transitions
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A Simple Stimulatory Device for Evoking Point-like Tactile Stimuli: A Searchlight for LFP to Spike Transitions

Published on: March 25, 2014

Membrane potential and spike train statistics depend distinctly on input statistics.

Robert Rosenbaum1, Krešimir Josić

  • 1Department of Mathematics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204-3008, USA.

Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|December 21, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Neural activity and membrane potentials reflect input structure differently. Understanding these distinct regimes is key for interpreting neuronal recordings and neural coding.

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Last Updated: May 26, 2026

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Published on: May 29, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Neuroscience
  • Neural Coding

Background:

  • Understanding how neural population activity relates to input structure is crucial for neural coding.
  • Most research focuses on spiking activity, with less known about subthreshold membrane potentials.
  • Neuronal responses are influenced by both subthreshold dynamics and spiking output.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between membrane potential statistics and input/spiking statistics.
  • To determine how neurons filter information at subthreshold and spiking levels.
  • To clarify the distinct regimes of sensitivity to input modulations.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of membrane potential and spike train statistics.
  • Modeling of neuronal responses to input current modulations.
  • Comparison of correlations in membrane potentials and spike trains.

Main Results:

  • Firing rates and membrane potentials exhibit distinct sensitivities to input current changes.
  • Correlations in membrane potentials and spike trains reflect input correlations in separate regimes.
  • Neuronal filtering properties influence subthreshold and spiking activity differently.

Conclusions:

  • Membrane potential and spiking activity are modulated by inputs in distinct ways.
  • Input correlations are reflected differently in membrane potential and spike train correlations.
  • Careful interpretation of combined subthreshold and spiking activity in neuronal recordings is necessary.