Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 4, 2026
07:13
3D Modeling of Dendritic Spines with Synaptic Plasticity
Published on: May 18, 2020
7.5K
Synaptic input sequence discrimination on behavioral timescales mediated by reaction-diffusion chemistry in dendrites
1National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India.
Elife
|April 20, 2017
Summary
Dendrites can recognize event sequences using chemical waves, enabling neural computation. This mechanism allows neurons to discriminate patterns on behaviorally relevant timescales.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
- Biophysics
Background:
- Neural discrimination of spatio-temporal sequences is crucial for sensory, motor, and cognitive functions.
- Key computational operations like pattern recognition and prediction rely on processing event sequences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if dendrites can perform sequence discrimination on behaviorally relevant timescales.
- To explore the underlying mechanisms of dendritic sequence recognition.
Main Methods:
- Utilized abstract signaling models to demonstrate sequence selectivity.
- Incorporated biological detail using detailed pyramidal neuronal models with sequential synaptic input.
- Simulated reaction-diffusion pathways on dendrites.
Main Results:
- Synaptically-driven reaction-diffusion pathways on dendrites can discriminate event sequences.
- Selectivity arises from chemical waves amplifying successive inputs.
- Local channel modulation downstream of sequence detection can alter neuronal firing.
Conclusions:
- Dendritic mechanisms can perform highly parallel and selective neural computation for spatio-temporal sequences.
- Predicted dendritic sequence-recognition zones are 5-30 microns and recognize time intervals of 0.2-5 seconds.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Chemical Synapses
5.2K
Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
5.2K
01:26Chemical Synapses
12.1K
Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
12.1K
02:47The Synapse
135.4K
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.
135.4K
01:12Synaptic Signaling
80.5K
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.
80.5K
01:09Synaptic Signaling
6.9K
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...
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...
6.9K
01:28Integration of Synaptic Events
5.1K
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...
5.1K