" ... We propose a parsimonious model of motion processing that generates direction selective responses using short-term synaptic depression and can reproduce salient features of direction selectivity found in a population of neurons in the midbrain of the weakly electric fish Eigenmannia virescens. The model achieves direction selectivity with an elementary Reichardt motion detector: information from spatially separated receptive fields converges onto a neuron via dynamically different pathways. In the model, these differences arise from convergence of information through distinct synapses that either exhibit or do not exhibit short-term synaptic depression—short-term depression produces phase-advances relative to nondepressing synapses. ..."
Model Type: Realistic Network
Cell Type(s): Electric fish midbrain torus semicircularis neuron
Model Concept(s): Oscillations; Depression; Direction Selectivity; Synaptic Convergence
Simulation Environment: MATLAB
Implementer(s): Carver, Sean [sean.carver at jhu.edu]
References:
Carver S, Roth E, Cowan NJ, Fortune ES. (2008). Synaptic plasticity can produce and enhance direction selectivity. PLoS computational biology. 4 [PubMed]