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Cellular, Synaptic and Network Effects of Acetylcholine in the Neocortex
Cristina Colangelo1, Polina Shichkova1, Daniel Keller1
1Blue Brain Project, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland.
Frontiers in Neural Circuits
|April 30, 2019
Summary
Acetylcholine (ACh) from basal forebrain (BF) neurons modulates neocortical activity. This review maps ACh's cellular, synaptic, and circuit effects, aiding computational models of brain states.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cellular Biology
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- Basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic neurons extensively innervate the neocortex.
- Acetylcholine (ACh) release by these neurons influences cognitive functions and dysfunctions.
- ACh dynamically alters neocortical microcircuitry via cell-type and synapse-specific actions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize current anatomical and physiological data on ACh effects in the neocortex.
- To create a functional map detailing ACh's impact on cellular, synaptic, and microcircuit levels.
- To provide a quantitative reference for computational modeling of ACh in brain states.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing anatomical and physiological studies.
- Analysis of ACh's effects on neuronal excitability and firing rates.
- Examination of ACh's impact on synaptic transmission dynamics (presynaptic and postsynaptic).
Main Results:
- ACh differentially affects neuronal excitability, causing hyperpolarization or depolarization.
- ACh modulates synaptic transmission by altering release probability and postsynaptic response magnitude.
- The precise mechanisms by which ACh regulates diverse neocortical cell-types and synapses are complex and varied.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive understanding of ACh's role in neocortical function is crucial.
- This review consolidates knowledge on ACh's multifaceted effects across neocortical circuits.
- The synthesized data serves as a foundation for data-driven computational models of ACh in brain states.
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