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Burst induced synaptic plasticity in Apysia sensorimotor neurons (Phares et al 2003)
Accession: 34168
The Aplysia sensorimotor synapse is a key site of plasticity for several simple forms of learning. Intracellular stimulation of sensory neurons to fire a burst of action potentials at 10 Hz for 1 sec led to significant homosynaptic depression of postsynaptic responses. During the burst, the steady-state depressed phase of the postsynaptic response, which was only 20% of the initial EPSP of the burst, still contributed to firing the motor neuron. To explore the functional contribution of transient homosynaptic depression to the response of the motor neuron, computer simulations of the sensorimotor synapse with and without depression were compared. Depression allowed the motor neuron to produce graded responses over a wide range of presynaptic input strength. Thus, synaptic depression increased the dynamic range of the sensorimotor synapse and can, in principle, have a profound effect on information processing. Please see paper for results and details.
Reference: Phares GA, Antzoulatos EG, Baxter DA, Byrne JH (2003) Burst-induced synaptic depression and its modulation contribute to information transfer at Aplysia sensorimotor synapses: empirical and computational analyses. J Neurosci 23:8392-401 [PubMed]
Citations  Citation Browser
Model Information (Click on a link to find other models with that property)
Model Type:  Network;
Brain Region(s)/Organism:  Aplysia;
Cell Type(s):   Aplysia sensory neuron; Aplysia motor neuron;
Channel(s):  I Na,t; I N; I A; I K; I Calcium; I A, slow;  
Gap Junctions:  
Receptor(s):  AMPA;
Gene(s):  
Transmitter(s):  
Simulation Environment:  SNNAP;
Model Concept(s):  Synaptic Plasticity; Action Potentials; Facilitation; Depression; Invertebrate; Sensory processing;
Implementer(s):  Phares, Gregg A [gregg.a.phares at uth.tmc.edu];
Search NeuronDB for information about:  AMPA; I Na,t; I N; I A; I K; I Calcium; I A, slow;
\
Phares
cells
ntw
ous
syn_control
syn_differential
syn_gain
syn_no_depression
trt
README.txt
phares_psp_differential.smu
phares_psp_gain.smu
phares_psp_no_depression.smu
phares_spikes_control_2_SN.smu
phares_spikes_differential_2_SN.smu
phares_spikes_gain_2_SN.smu
phares_spikes_no_depression_2_SN.smu
phares_psp_control.smu
simufiles.usd
                            
These simulations reproduce the model published in:

Phares, G.A., Antzoulatos, E.G., Baxter, D.A., and Byrne, J.H. (2003)
Burst-induced synaptic depression and its modulation contribute to
information transfer at Aplysia sensorimotor synapses: Empirical and
computational analyses.  J. Neurosci. 23:8392-8401.

The results from one simulation (phares_psp_control.smu) are
illustrated in Phares_control.gif.

To run:

Start SNNAP (double click on the SNNAP.jar file)
click on "Run Simulation"
Then in the new window "File"->"Load Simulation"
browse to and load phares_psp_control.smu
Click "Start"

See http://snnap.uth.tmc.edu/ to download SNNAP


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