Structure Related Intrinsic Electrical States And Firing Patterns Of Neurons With Active Dendrites

Activity of the multi-functional networked neurons depends on their intrinsic states and bears both cell- and network-defined features. Firing patterns of a neuron are conventionally attributed to spatial-temporal organization of inputs received from the network-mates via synapses, in vast majority dendritic. This attribution reflects widespread views of the within-cell job sharing, such that the main function of the dendrites is to receive signals and deliver them to the axo-somatic trigger zone, which actually generates the output pattern. However, these views are now revisited due to finding of active, non-linear properties of the dendritic membrane practically in neurons of practically all explored types. Like soma and axon, the dendrites with active membrane are able to generate self-maintained, propagating depolarizations and thus share intrinsic pattern-forming role with the trigger zone. Unlike the trigger zone, the dendrites have complex geometry, which is subject to developmental, activity-dependent, or neurodegenerative changes. Structural features of the arborization inevitably impact on electrical states and cooperative behavior of its constituting parts at different levels of organization, from sub-trees and branches to voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels populating the dendritic membrane. More than two decades of experimental and computer simulation studies have brought numerous phenomenological demonstrations of influence of the dendritic structure on neuronal firing patterns. A necessary step forward is to comprehend these findings and build a firm theoretical basis, including quantitative relationships between geometrical and electrical characteristics determining intrinsic activity of neurons. The articles in this eBook represent progress achieved in a broad circle of laboratories studied various aspects of structure and function of the neuronal dendrites. The authors elucidate new details of dendritic mechanisms underlying intrinsic activity patterns in neurons and highlight important questions that remain open in this important domain of cellular and computational neuroscience.

Activity of the multi-functional networked neurons depends on their intrinsic states and bears both cell- and network-defined features. Firing patterns of a neuron are conventionally attributed to spatial-temporal organization of inputs received from the network-mates via synapses, in vast majority dendritic. This attribution reflects widespread views of the within-cell job sharing, such that the main function of the dendrites is to receive signals and deliver them to the axo-somatic trigger zone, which actually generates the output pattern. However, these views are now revisited due to finding of active, non-linear properties of the dendritic membrane practically in neurons of practically all explored types. Like soma and axon, the dendrites with active membrane are able to generate self-maintained, propagating depolarizations and thus share intrinsic pattern-forming role with the trigger zone. Unlike the trigger zone, the dendrites have complex geometry, which is subject to developmental, activity-dependent, or neurodegenerative changes. Structural features of the arborization inevitably impact on electrical states and cooperative behavior of its constituting parts at different levels of organization, from sub-trees and branches to voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels populating the dendritic membrane. More than two decades of experimental and computer simulation studies have brought numerous phenomenological demonstrations of influence of the dendritic structure on neuronal firing patterns. A necessary step forward is to comprehend these findings and build a firm theoretical basis, including quantitative relationships between geometrical and electrical characteristics determining intrinsic activity of neurons. The articles in this eBook represent progress achieved in a broad circle of laboratories studied various aspects of structure and function of the neuronal dendrites. The authors elucidate new details of dendritic mechanisms underlying intrinsic activity patterns in neurons and highlight important questions that remain open in this important domain of cellular and computational neuroscience.

CELL TYPES IN THE THALAMUS AND CORTEX -- INTRINSIC MEMBRANE PROPERTIES -- SYNAPTIC PROPERTIES -- GLUTAMATERGIC DRIVERS AND MODULATORS -- FIRST AND HIGHER ORDER THALAMIC RELAYS -- THALAMIC CIRCUITRY -- BRIEF OVERVIEW OF CORTICAL ORGANIZATION -- CLASSIFICATION OF THALAMOCORTICAL AND CORTICOTHALAMIC MOTIFS -- SPIKE TIMING AND THALAMOCORTICAL INTERACTIONS -- PARALLEL PROCESSING OF SENSORY SIGNALS TO CORTEX -- THALAMOCORTICAL SUBSTRATES OF ATTENTION -- CORTICOTHALAMIC CIRCUITS LINKING SENSATION AND ACTION.

Edited and authored by a wealth of international experts in neuroscience and related disciplines, this key new resource aims to offer medical students and graduate researchers around the world a comprehensive introduction and overview of modern neuroscience. Neuroscience research is certain to prove a vital element in combating mental illness in its various incarnations, a strategic battleground in the future of medicine, as the prevalence of mental disorders is becoming better understood each year. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are affected by mental, behavioral, neurological and substance use disorders. The World Health Organization estimated in 2002 that 154 million people globally suffer from depression and 25 million people from schizophrenia; 91 million people are affected by alcohol use disorders and 15 million by drug use disorders. A more recent WHO report shows that 50 million people suffer from epilepsy and 24 million from Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Because neuroscience takes the etiology of disease—the complex interplay between biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors—as its object of inquiry, it is increasingly valuable in understanding an array of medical conditions. A recent report by the United States’ Surgeon General cites several such diseases: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, early-onset depression, autism, attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, anorexia nervosa, and panic disorder, among many others. Not only is this volume a boon to those wishing to understand the future of neuroscience, it also aims to encourage the initiation of neuroscience programs in developing countries, featuring as it does an appendix full of advice on how to develop such programs. With broad coverage of both basic science and clinical issues, comprising around 150 chapters from a diversity of international authors and including complementary video components, Neuroscience in the 21st Century in its second edition serves as a comprehensive resource to students and researchers alike.

The authoritative reference on NEURON, the simulation environment for modeling biological neurons and neural networks that enjoys wide use in the experimental and computational neuroscience communities. This book shows how to use NEURON to construct and apply empirically based models. Written primarily for neuroscience investigators, teachers, and students, it assumes no previous knowledge of computer programming or numerical methods. Readers with a background in the physical sciences or mathematics, who have some knowledge about brain cells and circuits and are interested in computational modeling, will also find it helpful. The NEURON Book covers material that ranges from the inner workings of this program, to practical considerations involved in specifying the anatomical and biophysical properties that are to be represented in models. It uses a problem-solving approach, with many working examples that readers can try for themselves.

Branching morphogenesis, the creation of branched structures in the body, is a key feature of animal and plant development. This book brings together, for the first time, expert researchers working on a variety of branching systems to present a state-of-the-art view of the mechanisms that control branching morphogenesis. Systems considered range from single cells, to blood vessel and drainage duct systems to entire body plans, and approaches range from observation through experiment to detailed biophysical modelling. The result is an integrated overview of branching.

How we raise young children is one of today's most highly personalized and sharply politicized issues, in part because each of us can claim some level of "expertise." The debate has intensified as discoveries about our development-in the womb and in the first months and years-have reached the popular media. How can we use our burgeoning knowledge to assure the well-being of all young children, for their own sake as well as for the sake of our nation? Drawing from new findings, this book presents important conclusions about nature-versus-nurture, the impact of being born into a working family, the effect of politics on programs for children, the costs and benefits of intervention, and other issues. The committee issues a series of challenges to decision makers regarding the quality of child care, issues of racial and ethnic diversity, the integration of children's cognitive and emotional development, and more. Authoritative yet accessible, From Neurons to Neighborhoods presents the evidence about "brain wiring" and how kids learn to speak, think, and regulate their behavior. It examines the effect of the climate-family, child care, community-within which the child grows.

In order to focus on principles, each chapter in this work is brief, organized around 1-3 wiring diagrams of the key circuits, with several pages of text that distil the functional significance of each microcircuit