Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

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.
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...
Synaptic Signaling01:09

Synaptic Signaling

Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...
Synaptic Signaling01:12

Synaptic Signaling

Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
The Synapse02:47

The Synapse

Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information.
Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System01:11

Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System

The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the stimulus...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Retrosplenial cortex enables context-dependent goal-directed sensorimotor transformation.

eLife·2026
Same author

Contextual gating of whisker-evoked responses by frontal cortex supports flexible decision making.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Cortical circuits for whisker sensory perception-From barrel columns to brain-wide interactions.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2026
Same author

Redefining borders in the sensorimotor cortex.

eLife·2026
Same author

Biologically informed cortical models predict optogenetic perturbations.

eLife·2026
Same author

Experimental and computational analysis of REM sleep distributed cortical activity in mice.

Journal of neurophysiology·2025
Same journal

Fast-conducting mechanonociceptors uniquely engage reflexive and affective pain circuitry to drive protective responses.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Sparse component analysis: A method that uncovers separable computations within neural population activity.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Spatiomolecular mapping reveals anatomical organization of heterogeneous cell types in the human nucleus accumbens.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

TGF-β1-induced endothelial transcytosis drives blood-brain barrier leakage during aging.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Image space opens up for visual neuroscience.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Septal GLP-1 receptors control alcohol taking and seeking.

Neuron·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

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

Synaptic computation and sensory processing in neocortical layer 2/3.

Carl C H Petersen1, Sylvain Crochet

  • 1Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne-EPFL, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. carl.petersen@epfl.ch

Neuron
|April 16, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mice neocortical circuits in layers 2 and 3 (L2/3) use sparse action potential (AP) firing for associative learning. Strong inhibition from GABAergic neurons enforces this sparse firing, crucial for sensory processing.

More Related Videos

Examining Local Network Processing using Multi-contact Laminar Electrode Recording
13:40

Examining Local Network Processing using Multi-contact Laminar Electrode Recording

Published on: September 8, 2011

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function
09:09

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function

Published on: August 7, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 12, 2026

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

Examining Local Network Processing using Multi-contact Laminar Electrode Recording
13:40

Examining Local Network Processing using Multi-contact Laminar Electrode Recording

Published on: September 8, 2011

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function
09:09

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function

Published on: August 7, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • Neocortical computations rely on integrating excitatory glutamatergic and inhibitory GABAergic synaptic inputs.
  • Advancements in optical, electrophysiological, and genetic methods enable detailed in vivo studies of superficial neocortical layers 2 and 3 (L2/3).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge of mouse L2/3 sensory cortex, particularly the somatosensory barrel cortex, with comparative insights from visual and auditory cortices.
  • To elucidate the functional properties and computational principles governing L2/3 network activity.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature utilizing optical, electrophysiological, and genetic techniques.
  • Focus on in vivo investigations of mouse L2/3 somatosensory, visual, and auditory cortices.

Main Results:

  • Excitatory neurons in L2/3 exhibit broadly tuned, dense subthreshold synaptic input and sparse action potential (AP) firing, supporting associative learning.
  • Strong inhibition mediated by specific GABAergic neuron classes enforces sparse AP firing.
  • Potential roles for subnetworks of connected excitatory neurons and dendritic spikes in L2/3 network function.

Conclusions:

  • L2/3 network properties are dynamically regulated by brain state and behavior.
  • These findings offer avenues for investigating context-specific sensory information processing in the neocortex.