Figure 8.
Dynamic-clamp studies of the adaptation of firing during prolonged changes in excitatory and inhibitory synaptic conductances. Aa, Excitatory synaptic conductance (GE) delivered to DCN cells. See Materials and Methods for details. Ab, Inhibitory synaptic conductance (GI) delivered to DCN cells. Ac, Example of dynamic-clamp recordings of the firing response to the excitatory and inhibitory synaptic conductances in Aa and Ab. Ad, The instantaneous firing frequency (gray) and the average firing frequency (0.5 s bins, black) for the example cell in Ac are shown. B, Expanded regions of the membrane potential corresponding to the trace in Ac. C, Average firing frequency evoked by increases in excitatory conductances for different cells (gray) and the average response (black) ± SEM (gray). D, Summary data for the initial (0–30 s), peak, and steady-state firing rates; decay times; and adaptation ratios (n = 6 cells). E–H, As in A–D but for a decrease in inhibition.