Onset dynamics of action potentials in rat neocortical neurons and identified snail neurons: quantification of the difference.
The generation of action potentials (APs) is a key process in the operation of nerve cells and the communication between neurons. Action potentials in mammalian central neurons are characterized by an exceptionally fast onset dynamics, which differs from the typically slow and gradual onset dynamics seen in identified snail neurons. Here we describe a novel method of analysis which provides a quantitative measure of the onset dynamics of action potentials. This method captures the difference between the fast, step-like onset of APs in rat neocortical neurons and the gradual, exponential-like AP onset in identified snail neurons. The quantitative measure of the AP onset dynamics, provided by the method, allows us to perform quantitative analyses of factors influencing the dynamics.
Volgushev
Maxim
M
Department of Phychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States of America. maxim.volgushev@uconn.edu
Malyshev
Aleksey
A
Balaban
Pavel
P
Chistiakova
Marina
M
Volgushev
Stanislav
S
Wolf
Fred
F
D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D004594:Electrophysiology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008954:Models, Biological; D008959:Models, Neurological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D019579:Neocortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D012908:Snails; D013045:Species Specificity; D009435:Synaptic Transmission