This model simulates the effects of dendritic sodium spikes initiated in distal apical dendrites on the voltage and the calcium dynamics revealed by calcium imaging. It shows that dendritic sodium spike promotes large and transient calcium influxes via NMDA receptor and L-type voltage-gated calcium channels, which contribute to the induction of LTP at distal synapses.
Model Type: Neuron or other electrically excitable cell; Synapse; Channel/Receptor; Dendrite
Region(s) or Organism(s): Hippocampus
Cell Type(s): Hippocampus CA1 pyramidal GLU cell
Currents: I L high threshold; I K; Ca pump; I Sodium
Transmitters: Glutamate
Model Concept(s): Dendritic Action Potentials; Ion Channel Kinetics; Active Dendrites; Detailed Neuronal Models; Synaptic Plasticity; Long-term Synaptic Plasticity; Synaptic Integration; Calcium dynamics; Conductance distributions
Simulation Environment: NEURON
Implementer(s): Cembrowski, Mark S [cembrowskim at janelia.hhmi.org]; Hsu, Ching-Lung [hsuc at janelia.hhmi.org]
References:
Kim Y, Hsu CL, Cembrowski MS, Mensh BD, Spruston N. (2015). Dendritic sodium spikes are required for long-term potentiation at distal synapses on hippocampal pyramidal neurons. eLife. 4 [PubMed]