: alphasyndiffeq.mod is actually : exp2syn.mod (default supplied with NEURON) modified so that the : time constants are very close to each other. The new global : near_unity_AlphaSynDiffEq is the factor multiplied into : tau2 to make tau1. COMMENT Two state kinetic scheme synapse described by rise time tau1, and decay time constant tau2. The normalized peak conductance is 1. Decay time, tau2, MUST be greater than rise time, tau1. The solution of A->G->bath with rate constants 1/tau1 and 1/tau2 is A = a*exp(-t/tau1) and G = a*tau2/(tau2-tau1)*(-exp(-t/tau1) + exp(-t/tau2)) where tau1 < tau2 If tau2-tau1 -> 0 then we have a alphasynapse. and if tau1 -> 0 then we have just single exponential decay. The factor is evaluated in the initial block such that an event of weight 1 generates a peak conductance of 1. Because the solution is a sum of exponentials, the coupled equations can be solved as a pair of independent equations by the more efficient cnexp method. ENDCOMMENT NEURON { POINT_PROCESS AlphaSynDiffEq RANGE tau1, tau2, e, i NONSPECIFIC_CURRENT i RANGE g GLOBAL total, near_unity } UNITS { (nA) = (nanoamp) (mV) = (millivolt) (uS) = (microsiemens) } PARAMETER { near_unity = 0.999 (1) : tau1 tenth of a percent smaller than tau2 by default tau2 = 10 (ms) <1e-9,1e9> e=0 (mV) } ASSIGNED { v (mV) i (nA) g (uS) factor total (uS) tau1 (ms) } STATE { A (uS) B (uS) } INITIAL { LOCAL tp total = 0 tau1 = near_unity * tau2 A = 0 B = 0 tp = (tau1*tau2)/(tau2 - tau1) * log(tau2/tau1) factor = -exp(-tp/tau1) + exp(-tp/tau2) factor = 1/factor } BREAKPOINT { SOLVE state METHOD cnexp g = B - A i = g*(v - e) } DERIVATIVE state { A' = -A/tau1 B' = -B/tau2 } NET_RECEIVE(weight (uS)) { state_discontinuity(A, A + weight*factor) state_discontinuity(B, B + weight*factor) total = total+weight }