title: Spike doublets in neurons of the lateral amygdala: mechanisms and contribution to rhythmic activity.
abstract: A majority of projection neurons in the lateral amygdala generate oscillatory spike firing in the theta-frequency range, largely due to intrinsic membrane properties. Here we report on the occurrence of spike doublets in about 70% of these cells. Spike doublets consisted of a fast initial and a second slower component, which were mediated by sodium- and calcium-dependent mechanisms, respectively. With increased level of depolarization, there was a gradual transition of fast action potentials, regular alternation of fast action potentials and spike doublets, regular spike doublets, and high-threshold oscillations. Fast Fourier transforms demonstrated the rhythmic nature of spike doublets at around 3 Hz with an intra-doublet frequency of 25-80 Hz. Spike doublets may thus contribute to the overall rhythmicity in the membrane potential patterns of projection cells and support the integration of synaptic input signals.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologie, Medizinische Fakultät, Otto-von-Guericke Universität Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Driesang
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Pape
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010507:Periodicity; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D002118:Calcium