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Related Experiment Videos

Deafferentation weakens excitatory synapses in the developing central auditory system

V C Kotak1, D H Sanes

  • 1Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York 10003, USA.

The European Journal of Neuroscience
|February 17, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Decreased excitatory input during development weakens synaptic connections in the brain. This study shows that disrupting this input reduces synapse strength and causes neuronal changes in gerbils.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Synaptic Plasticity

Background:

  • Decreased excitatory synaptic activity during development can lead to anatomical atrophy.
  • Understanding the impact on synaptic strength maturation is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of decreased excitatory transmission on synaptic strength maturation.
  • To analyze changes in excitatory and inhibitory synaptic activity in the lateral superior olive (LSO) following denervation.

Main Methods:

  • Gerbils were subjected to cochlear denervation at postnatal day 7 to disrupt glutamatergic transmission.
  • Whole-cell current- and voltage-clamp recordings were used to assess synaptic activity in brain slices.
  • Synaptic efficacy was measured by analyzing excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) and currents (EPSCs).

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Main Results:

  • Reduced incidence and amplitude of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in denervated neurons.
  • A significant decrease (approx. 40%) in minimum excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) amplitude, indicating reduced efficacy of individual synapses.
  • MNTB-evoked inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) remained similar, but rebound depolarizations were altered.

Conclusions:

  • Functional denervation of excitatory afferents leads to decreased synaptic efficacy.
  • This decrease results from both a loss of neurons and a reduction in the strength of surviving synapses.
  • Developmental excitatory activity is critical for maintaining synaptic strength and neuronal function.