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UCHC Articles - Research

Glutamate

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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

The Decade Of The Dendritic Nmda Spike, Srdjan D. Antic, Wen-Liang Zho, Anna R. Moore, Shaina M. Shor, Katerina D. Ikonomu Nov 2010

The Decade Of The Dendritic Nmda Spike, Srdjan D. Antic, Wen-Liang Zho, Anna R. Moore, Shaina M. Shor, Katerina D. Ikonomu

UCHC Articles - Research

In the field of cortical cellular physiology, much effort has been invested in understanding thick apical drites of pyramidal neurons and the regenerative sodium and calcium spikes that take place in the apical trunk. Here we focus on thin dendrites of pyramidal cells (basal, oblique, and tuft dendrites), and we discuss one relatively novel form of an electrical signal (“NMDA spike”) that is specific for these branches. Basal, oblique, and apical tuft dendrites receive a high density of glutamatergic synaptic contacts. Synchronous activation of 10–50 neighboring glutamatergic synapses triggers a local dendritic regenerative potential, NMDA spike/plateau, which is characterized by …


A Strict Correlation Between Dendritic And Somatic Plateau Depolarizations In The Rat Prefrontal Cortex Pyramidal Neurons, Srdjan D. Antic Apr 2005

A Strict Correlation Between Dendritic And Somatic Plateau Depolarizations In The Rat Prefrontal Cortex Pyramidal Neurons, Srdjan D. Antic

UCHC Articles - Research

One of the fundamental problems in neurobiology is to understand the cellular mechanism for sustained neuronal activity (neuronal UP states). Prefrontal pyramidal neurons readily switch to a long-lasting depolarized state after suprathreshold stimulation of basal dendrites. Analysis of the dendritic input–output function revealed that basal dendrites operate in a somewhat binary regimen (DOWN or UP) in regard to the amplitude of the glutamate-evoked electrical signal. Although the amplitude of the dendritic potential quickly becomes saturated (dendritic UP state), basal dendrites preserve their ability to code additional increase in glutamatergic input. Namely, after the saturation of the plateau amplitude, an additional …