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Electrodiffusion models of synaptic potentials in dendritic spines
Thibault Lagache1,2,3,4, Krishna Jayant5,6,7,8, Rafael Yuste5,6,7
1Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA. thibault.lagache@pasteur.fr.
Journal of Computational Neuroscience
|August 15, 2019
Summary
Electrodiffusion significantly impacts dendritic spine function, influencing excitatory synaptic potentials (EPSPs) and synaptic facilitation. This study extends cable theory to model these nanoscale neuronal compartments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Dendritic spine biophysics is crucial for neuronal integration but experimentally challenging to study.
- Traditional cable theory models often neglect electrodiffusion in small neuronal compartments.
- Electrodiffusion, the interplay of electric fields and ion diffusion, may be significant in femto-liter scale dendritic spines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To extend traditional cable theory by incorporating electrodiffusion effects in dendritic spines.
- To model ion concentration dynamics within spines during excitatory synaptic potentials (EPSPs).
- To investigate the influence of spine geometry and electrodiffusion on synaptic signal propagation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Poisson (P) and Nernst-Planck (NP) equations to model ion dynamics.
- Integrated electrodiffusion with passive diffusion principles.
- Employed experimentally measured voltage transients from spines using nanoelectrodes for parameterization.
Main Results:
- Both passive diffusion and electrodiffusion jointly influence EPSP dynamics in dendritic spines.
- Spine geometry is a critical determinant in shaping EPSP characteristics.
- A dynamic decrease in spine-neck resistance during EPSPs was observed, suggesting short-term synaptic facilitation.
Conclusions:
- The developed model complements and extends existing cable theory for nanoscale bio-compartments.
- Electrodiffusion plays a vital role in the biophysical properties of dendritic spines.
- The model provides a framework for studying ionic biophysics in other small biological structures.
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