Instruction.txt for the LDS model by Akira Takashima, Ryou Hikosaka and Masakazu Takahata. Here are some suggestive instructions for successfully using the LDS model simulation on the GENESIS simulator. When the simulation is first on, two windows will appear. The left window is the main control panel which performs several types of experiments. The right window shows experimental results: the membrane potential and conductances of a compartment that you have chosen on the left window. Followings are description of the items in simulation program. 1. Buttons in the main control panel RESET Resets the simulation and clears the graphical output (in overlay mode, see below). STOP Stops the current simulation. QUIT Quits the simulation (and GENESIS). STEP Initiates the simulation and performs a simulation run for the time as indicated in the right side of the STEP button (in msec). dt Sets a simulation time step as indicated in the right side of the dt button (in msec). 0.01 msec time step as the default is accurate and thus desirbale. Change Synaptic Inputs Hitting this button shows you the Popup menu about the synaptic inputs. 2. Buttons and toggles in the Synaptic Input Popup menu DISMISS Hides the Popup menu. Synaptic Input OFF/ON toggle Toggles between Synaptic inputs OFF (default) and ON. single_input Sets synaptic input to a dendritic compartment indicated by red color and all other inputs are removed. 5_inputs Sets synaptic input to five dendritic compartment indicated by red color and all other inputs are removed. 10_inputs Sets synaptic input to ten dendritic compartment indicated by red color and all other inputs are removed. 21_inputs Sets synaptic input to twenty-one dendritic compartment indicated by red color and all other inputs are removed. 94_inputs Sets synaptic input to ninety-four dendritic compartment indicated by red color and all other inputs are removed. Remove All Synaptic Inputs Removes all synaptic inputs and sets Synaptic Input OFF toggle. 3. Toggles in the LDS No Graph/Graph Toggles between hide (default)/show the graph output window. No Electrodes/Electrodes If you wish to see compartments where you plot their membrane potentials, activate this toggle and activate "Add plot" button on the xgraphs, which shows you electrodes which are penetrated into the compartments. 4. Buttons and toggles in the xgraph Clear graph Clears xgraph's plot and remove electrodes on the LDS panel. Add plot Use this button to add plot(s) to the xgraph. This must be done as no plot is pre-selected. You can either click on any part of the LDS cell to select or type the compartment number in the dialog box. Overlay off/on When a reset is performed, normally all plots are cleared. When overlay is on, they are saved so that you can compare plots from different runs of simulation. Correspondence e-mail address is: takashim@sci.hokudai.ac.jp (Akira Takashima)