[MURG] Paper available: Computational subunits in thin dendrites of pyramidal cells (fwd from mel@usc.edu)

[Eugen Leitl]

----- Forwarded message from Bartlett Mel <mel at usc.edu> -----

From: Bartlett Mel <mel at usc.edu>
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2004 10:38:56 -0700
To: comp-neuro at neuroinf.org
Subject: Paper available: Computational subunits in thin dendrites of pyramidal
 cells
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Reply-To: Bartlett Mel <mel at usc.edu>

The following paper is available at

http://lnc.usc.edu/library/Polsky_Mel_Schiller04.pdf

Polsky, A., Mel B.W. & Schiller, J. (2004) Computational subunits in 
thin dendrites of pyramidal cells. Nature Neuroscience, 7, 621-627.

Abstract

The thin basal and oblique dendrites of cortical pyramidal neurons 
receive most of the synaptic inputs from cells, but their integrative 
properties remains uncertain. Previous studies have most often reported 
global linear or sublinear summation. An alternative view, supported by 
biophysical modeling studies, holds that thin dendrites provide a layer 
of independent computational ?subunits? that sigmoidally modulate their 
inputs prior to global summation. To distinguish these possibilities, we
combined confocal imaging and dual-site focal synaptic stimulation of 
identified thin dendrites in rat neocortical pyramidal neurons. We found 
that nearby inputs on the same branch summed sigmoidally, whereas widely 
separated inputs or inputs to different branches summed linearly. This 
strong spatial compartmentalization effect is incompatible with a global 
summation rule and provides the first experimental support for a 
two-layer `neural network' model of pyramidal neuron thin-branch 
integration. Our findings could have important implications for the 
computing and memory-related functions of cortical tissue.


-Bartlett
--

 Bartlett W. Mel, Assoc Prof Biomed Engin, Neurosci Grad Prog
  USC, BME Dept, MC 1451, Los Angeles, CA 90089
   mel at usc.edu, http://LNC.usc.edu
    voice: (213)740-0334, lab: -3397, fax: -0343
     fedex: 3650 McClintock Ave, 500 Olin Hall



----- End forwarded message -----
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