"... Whether active dendrites contribute to the generation of the
dual temporal and rate codes characteristic of grid cell output is
unknown. We show that dendrites of medial entorhinal cortex neurons
are highly excitable and exhibit a supralinear input–output function
in vitro, while in vivo recordings reveal membrane potential
signatures consistent with recruitment of active dendritic
conductances. By incorporating these nonlinear dynamics into grid cell
models, we show that they can sharpen the precision of the temporal
code and enhance the robustness of the rate code, thereby supporting a
stable, accurate representation of space under varying environmental
conditions. Our results suggest that active dendrites may therefore
constitute a key cellular mechanism for ensuring reliable spatial
navigation."
Reference:
1 .
Schmidt-Hieber C, Toleikyte G, Aitchison L, Roth A, Clark BA, Branco T, Häusser M (2017) Active dendritic integration as a mechanism for robust and precise grid cell firing. Nat Neurosci 20:1114-1121 [PubMed]
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