Measurements of transmitter action: the problem of voltage dependence

Conventional intracellular recordings, from central mammalian neurones, are used to assess the actions of putative transmitters on neuronal membrane parameters such as input conductance and to determine reversal potentials. Ohm's Law and constant current methods can be employed to accurately assess such parameters provided the putative transmitter activates a voltage-independent response. However, several likely transmitter candidates act via voltage-dependent mechanisms to alter neuronal excitability; as a consequence, results from this method of analysis must be cautiously interpreted. Under this constraint of possible voltage dependence, constant current methods can lead to spurious conclusions about the physiological and pharmacological characterization of the response.