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Influence of dendritic structure on firing pattern in model neocortical neurons

Nature volume 382, pages 363–366 (1996)Cite this article

Abstract

NEOCORTICAL neurons display a wide range of dendritic morphologies, ranging from compact arborizations to highly elaborate branching patterns1. In vitro electrical recordings from these neurons have revealed a correspondingly diverse range of intrinsic firing patterns, including non-adapting, adapting and bursting types2,3. 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 properties3–7 and emphasize the importance of active dendritic conductances in neuronal function8–10.

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Author notes

  1. Zachary F. Mainen

    Present address: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, 11724, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, 92037

    Zachary F. Mainen & Terrence J. Sejnowski

  2. Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093, USA

    Zachary F. Mainen & Terrence J. Sejnowski

Authors
  1. Zachary F. Mainen
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  2. Terrence J. Sejnowski
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Mainen, Z., Sejnowski, T. Influence of dendritic structure on firing pattern in model neocortical neurons. Nature 382, 363–366 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/382363a0

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