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Related Concept Videos

Depolarizing Blockers: Mechanism of Action01:28

Depolarizing Blockers: Mechanism of Action

Depolarizing blockers act on skeletal muscle fibers' membranes and induce their depolarization. Most depolarizing blockers have two quaternary N+ atoms that bind the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and cause neuromuscular blockade within minutes.
Succinylcholine is the most commonly used depolarizing blocker. Chemically, it constitutes two molecules of acetylcholine joined together by an acetate methyl group. They act on the receptors in the same way as acetylcholine. Because succinylcholine...
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...
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Depolarizing Blockers: Pharmocokinetics

Depolarizing blockers are administered through intravenous injection. Succinylcholine is the most common choice of depolarizing blockers in emergency clinical practices. Although they have a rapid onset, they readily diffuse away from the motor end plate into the extracellular fluid. They are metabolized by enzymes such as liver butyrylcholinesterase and plasma pseudocholinesterases. This produces a short duration of action, typically 5-10 minutes long, unlike nondepolarizing blockers, which...
Resting Potential Decay01:15

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The resting membrane potential of a neuron (-70mV) is sustained due to the selective ion permeability of the membrane. At the resting potential, the membrane is slightly permeable to ions like sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl−) and highly permeable to potassium ions (K+). Differences in the ions' concentration inside the cell compared to the outside are maintained by membrane transport proteins like channels and pumps.
At rest, the K+ is the main ion that moves across the membrane through...
Resting Potential Decay01:15

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The resting membrane potential of a neuron (-70mV) is sustained due to the selective ion permeability of the membrane. At the resting potential, the membrane is slightly permeable to ions like sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl−) and highly permeable to potassium ions (K+). Differences in the ions' concentration inside the cell compared to the outside are maintained by membrane transport proteins like channels and pumps.
At rest, the K+ is the main ion that moves across the membrane through...
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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Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond
08:08

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Published on: June 24, 2015

Exploring neuronal bistability at the depolarization block.

Andrey Dovzhenok1, Alexey S Kuznetsov

  • 1Department of Mathematical Sciences and Center for Mathematical Biosciences, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America. adovzhen@iupui.edu

Plos One
|August 18, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Neurons can exhibit bistability, a dual firing mode crucial for information processing and memory. This study links bistability in dopaminergic neurons to sodium current inactivation and potential antipsychotic drug effects.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Many neurons exhibit bistability, characterized by the coexistence of two distinct firing modes, such as bursting and tonic spiking.
  • Bistability is hypothesized to enhance neuronal information processing and play a role in short-term memory by enabling sustained firing changes.
  • This study specifically investigates bistability enabling a choice between tonic spiking and depolarization block across various depolarization levels.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the mechanisms underlying neuronal bistability, focusing on the transition between tonic spiking and depolarization block.
  • To identify the key ionic currents responsible for bistability in neuronal models.
  • To explore the potential link between bistability in dopaminergic neurons and the effects of antipsychotic drugs.

Main Methods:

  • Computational modeling of two distinct neuron types: a dopaminergic neuron model and the Hodgkin-Huxley model of the squid giant axon.
  • Systematic variation of parameter values in the models to analyze transitions in neuronal firing modes.
  • Focus on the role of spike-producing currents, particularly sodium (Na+) current inactivation and window currents.

Main Results:

  • The dopaminergic neuron model demonstrated bistability over a wide range of applied currents leading to depolarization block.
  • The Hodgkin-Huxley model of the squid giant axon did not exhibit bistability under the tested conditions.
  • Bistability was found to be primarily associated with the inactivation properties of the Na+ current, with a suggested correlation between Na+ window current magnitude and the extent of the bistability range.

Conclusions:

  • Neuronal bistability is significantly influenced by the inactivation dynamics of sodium currents.
  • The observed bistability in the dopaminergic neuron model suggests a potential mechanism for the prolonged action of antipsychotic drugs.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise relationship between Na+ current properties, bistability, and neurological drug actions.