Fig 1. Response properties of simplified pyramidal neuron model.
The model reproduces qualitative features of pyramidal neuron dendrites found in experiments by [11] and [12]. The color of the voltage traces match the electrodes in the diagram. Scale bar applies to panels B-E. A: Model neuron morphology with somatic (black) and dendritic (red) recording and stimulation sites. B: EPSP: a distal EPSC (Istim) resulted in an EPSP in the dendrite with little effect on somatic voltage. C: bAP: threshold somatic current injection (0.3 nA, 2 ms) led to a bAP. D: BAC firing: somatic current injection followed by dendritic stimulation in an interval (Δt) of 5 ms, resulted in a calcium spike, and a burst of two somatic APs. E: Calcium spike: stronger dendritic stimulation alone could elicit a calcium spike. F: Above a critical frequency of somatic spiking, a calcium spike was triggered. The y-axis depicts the cumulative membrane potential across the fixed simulation length of 0.6 sec for different frequencies of somatic stimulation. All values are normalized by the value at 90 Hz stimulation frequency (where a stereotypical calcium spike was elicited). The distal membrane potential changed abruptly once the frequency was high enough to trigger the calcium-dependent dendritic nonlinearity (i.e. the calcium spike).