"Burst firing of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta can be induced in vitro by the glutamate agonist N-methyl-D-aspartate. It has been suggested that the interburst hyperpolarization is due to Na+ extrusion by a ouabain-sensitive pump (Johnson et al. (1992) Science 258, 665-667). We formulate and explore a theoretical model, with a minimal number of currents, for this novel mechanism of burst generation. This minimal model is further developed into a more elaborate model based on observations of additional currents and hypotheses about their spatial distribution in dopaminergic neurons ... Responses of the model to a number of electrophysiological and pharmacological stimuli are consistent with known responses observed under similar conditions. ..."
Model Type: Neuron or other electrically excitable cell
Currents: I Sodium
Receptors: NMDA
Transmitters: Dopamine; Glutamate
Model Concept(s): Bursting; Action Potentials; Sodium pump; Activity Patterns; Oscillations
Simulation Environment: CellML (web link to model)
References:
Li YX, Bertram R, Rinzel J. (1996). Modeling N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced bursting in dopamine neurons. Neuroscience. 71 [PubMed]