Influence of dendritic structure on firing pattern in model neocortical neurons
Abstract
Neocortical neurons display a wide range of dendritic morphologies, ranging from compact arborizations to highly elaborate branching patterns. In vitro electrical recordings from these neurons have revealed a correspondingly diverse range of intrinsic firing patterns, including non-adapting, adapting and bursting types. This heterogeneity of electrical responsivity has generally been attributed to variability in the types and densities of ionic channels. We show here, using compartmental models of reconstructed cortical neurons, that an entire spectrum of firing patterns can be reproduced in a set of neurons that share a common distribution of ion channels and differ only in their dendritic geometry. The essential behaviour of the model depends on partial electrical coupling of fast active conductances localized to the soma and axon and slow active currents located throughout the dendrites, and can be reproduced in a two-compartment model. The results suggest a causal relationship for the observed correlations between dendritic structure and firing properties and emphasize the importance of active dendritic conductances in neuronal function.
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The change in dendrite diameter is likely to affect the physiological activity of the neuron.
“In any case, the change in dendrite diameter is likely to affect the physiological activity of the neuron as dendrite diameter is closely related to electrical conductivity (Holmes, 1989; Mainen and Sejnowski, 1996; Vetter et al., 2001).”
From The influence of phospho-tau on dendritic spines of cortical pyramidal neurons in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (2013) · cites this paper as Mainen and Sejnowski, 1996
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- Authors
- Mainen, Z. F., & Sejnowski, T. J.
- Affiliations
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies (US)
- ORCID
- Mainen, Zachary F.
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 1996-07
- Volume
- 382
- Issue
- 6589
- Pages
- 363-366
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W2004921550
- Cited by
- 1,231
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 24 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 47 · 2023: 46 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 38 · 2020: 53 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 46 · 2017: 59 · 2016: 45 · 2015: 43 · 2014: 50 · 2013: 51 · 2012: 49
- FWCI
- 13.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Ion channel regulation and function
- Keywords
- dendritic morphology, neocortical neurons, neuronal firing patterns, compartmental neuron model, dendritic geometry, electrical coupling, burst firing, ion channels
- MeSH terms
- Action Potentials, Cerebral Cortex, Dendrites, Models, Neurological, Neurons, Calcium Channels, Potassium Channels
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