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Updated: May 19, 2026

Inducing Long-Term Plasticity of Intrinsic Neuronal Excitability in Neurons of the Dorsal Lateral Geniculate Nucleus
Published on: September 20, 2024
Long-term relationships between cholinergic tone, synchronous bursting and synaptic remodeling
Maya Kaufman1, Michael A Corner, Noam E Ziv
1Department of Physiology and Biophysics and Rappaport Institute, Technion Faculty of Medicine, and Network Biology Research Laboratories, Lorry Lokey Center for Life Sciences and Engineering, Haifa, Israel.
Cholinergic systems influence brain plasticity by altering synaptic remodeling and network activity. While elevated cholinergic tone initially suppresses bursting, it can recover, indicating limited control over synchronous activity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cellular Neuroscience
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- Cholinergic neuromodulation is vital for neuronal excitability, network activity, and brain development.
- Long-term effects of cholinergic tone on synaptic remodeling are largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term relationship between cholinergic tone, excitatory synapse remodeling, and network activity.
- To understand how cholinergic systems impact synaptic plasticity and neuronal network function.
Main Methods:
- Utilized automated microscopy and multielectrode array recordings.
- Studied cortical neuron networks grown on multielectrode array substrates.
- Manipulated cholinergic tone and monitored synaptic and network activity.
Main Results:
- Elevated cholinergic tone suppressed synchronous bursting but promoted excitatory synapse growth.
- Cholinergic receptor blockade restored bursting and reversed synaptic growth.
- Synaptic remodeling occurred in a subset of synapses, not based on initial size.
- Sustained cholinergic tone led to bursting recovery, but not synaptic reversal.
Conclusions:
- Cholinergic tone significantly impacts synaptic remodeling and synchronous bursting.
- The coupling between synaptic remodeling and bursting activity is not strictly linear.
- Cholinergic neuromodulation has a limited capacity to indefinitely suppress synchronous bursting.
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