Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Voltage-sensitive Dye Recording from Axons, Dendrites and Dendritic Spines of Individual Neurons in Brain Slices
Published on: November 29, 2012
Voltage dynamics of cortical dendrites in vivo
J David Wong-Campos1,2, Pojeong Park1,3, Byung Hun Lee1
1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
None:
Voltage dynamics in dendrites, which result both from integrating synaptic inputs and back-propagating action potentials (bAPs) from the soma, contribute to plasticity. Mapping these dynamics in the dendritic arbors of live animals is crucial for understanding neuronal computation and plasticity rules. Here we combine targeted channelrhodopsin activation with dual-plane structured illumination voltage imaging for simultaneous monitoring of dendritic and somatic voltage response dynamics in cortical layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in anesthetized and awake mice. We examined the integration of synaptic inputs and compared the dynamics of optogenetically evoked, spontaneous and sensory-evoked subthreshold and bAP dynamics. Our measurements revealed a broadly correlated membrane voltage throughout the dendritic arbor and only weak signatures of electrical compartmentalization within individual dendritic branches. However, we observed strong spiking-history-dependent modulation of bAP propagation into distal dendrites. We propose that this dendritic filtering of bAPs may have a critical role in the regulation of bursting and in activity-dependent plasticity.
Related Concept Videos
Action Potential
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...
Action Potentials
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation
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.
Propagation of Action Potentials
Neurons (nerve cells) have a resting membrane potential, with a slightly negative charge inside compared to outside. This is maintained by ion channels, such as sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) channels, which control the flow of ions. When a stimulus, like a touch or a signal from another neuron, triggers the neuron, sodium channels open, allowing sodium ions to...
Resting Potential Decay
At rest, the K+ is the main ion that moves across the membrane through...
Resting Potential Decay
At rest, the K+ is the main ion that moves across the membrane through...

