Differential Effects of Excitatory and Inhibitory Plasticity on Synaptically Driven Neuronal Input-Output Functions

Ultimately, whether or not a neuron produces a spike determines its contribution to local computations. In response to brief stimuli the probability a neuron will fire can be described by its input-output function, which depends on the net balance and timing of excitatory and inhibitory currents. Wh...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuron (Cambridge, Mass.) Mass.), 2009-03, Vol.61 (5), p.774-785
Main Authors: Carvalho, Tiago P., Buonomano, Dean V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Behavior
Biophysical Phenomena
Computer Simulation
Electric Stimulation
Electrodes
Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials - physiology
Experiments
Hippocampus - cytology
In Vitro Techniques
Information processing
Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potentials - physiology
Models, Neurological
Neuronal Plasticity - physiology
Neurons
Neurons - physiology
Patch-Clamp Techniques - methods
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Synapses - physiology
SYSNEURO
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Summary:Ultimately, whether or not a neuron produces a spike determines its contribution to local computations. In response to brief stimuli the probability a neuron will fire can be described by its input-output function, which depends on the net balance and timing of excitatory and inhibitory currents. While excitatory and inhibitory synapses are plastic, most studies examine plasticity of subthreshold events. Thus, the effects of concerted regulation of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic strength on neuronal input-output functions are not well understood. Here, theoretical analyses reveal that excitatory synaptic strength controls the threshold of the neuronal input-output function, while inhibitory plasticity alters the threshold and gain. Experimentally, changes in the balance of excitation and inhibition in CA1 pyramidal neurons also altered their input-output function as predicted by the model. These results support the existence of two functional modes of plasticity that can be used to optimize information processing: threshold and gain plasticity.
ISSN:0896-6273
1097-4199
DOI:10.1016/j.neuron.2009.01.013