Using computer simulations to determine the limitations of dynamic clamp stimuli applied at the soma in mimicking distributed conductance sources.

ABSTRACT: In previous studies we used the technique of dynamic clamp to study how temporal modulation of inhibitory and excitatory inputs control the frequency and precise timing of spikes in neurons of the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN). Although this technique is now widely used, it is limited to interpreting conductance inputs as being location independent; i.e., all inputs that are biologically distributed across the dendritic tree are applied to the soma. We used computer simulations of a morphologically realistic model of DCN neurons to compare the effects of purely somatic vs. distributed dendritic inputs in this cell type. We applied the same conductance stimuli used in our published experiments to the model. To simulate variability in neuronal responses to repeated stimuli, we added a somatic

SUBMITTER: Lin RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3094164 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature