title: Neurophysiology: Hodgkin and Huxley model--still standing?
abstract: Action potentials in cortical neurons show a variable threshold and a sudden rise in membrane potential at initiation. Naundorf et al. fail to explain these features using single- or double-compartment Hodgkin-Huxley-style models, suggesting instead that they could arise from cooperative opening of Na+ channels, although there is no direct biological evidence to support this. Here we show that these so-called unique features are to be expected from Hodgkin-Huxley models if the spatial geometry and spike initiation properties of cortical neurons are taken into account--it is therefore unnecessary to invoke exotic channel-gating properties as an explanation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA. david.mccormick@yale.edu
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.forename: Yousheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: Yuguo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008959:Models, Neurological; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015222:Sodium Channels