Excitability of cortical neurons and their neural network
10.3867/j.issn.1000-3002.2017.11.001
- VernacularTitle:大脑皮质神经元及其网络的兴奋
- Author:
Sui-Xin DENG
1
;
You-Sheng SHU
Author Information
1. 北京师范大学认知神经科学与学习国家重点实验室
- Keywords:
excitability;
ion channel;
action potential;
digital signal;
analog signal;
recurrent inhibi-tion;
asynchronous release;
excitation and inhibition balance
- From:
Chinese Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology
2017;31(11):1033-1044
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
The cerebral cortex contains a large variety of neuronal cells, which connect with each other via synapses to form different neural networks and fundamental elements for brain functions such as sense, movement, learning, language and decision making. Information processing in the cerebral cortex requires the activation of individual neurons and their recurrent networks,that is,the generation of action potential (AP) (excitability of single neurons) and network activity (excitability of neural networks).Initiation of AP occurs at the axon and is determined by axonal ion channels as well as intrinsic biophysical properties.The excitability of recurrent networks is not only determined by the excitability of different types of neurons, but also regulated by the unique properties of neurotransmitter release in distinct synapses including excitatory and inhibitory ones.Traditionally,it is believed that the all-or-none AP is the only mode of information transmission-digital mode.Recent studies have shown that the subthreshold membrane potential fluctuations regulate AP-induced the synaptic transmission-analog mode. At the network level, the network activity is relatively stable, resulting from a dynamic balance of excitation and inhibition. The microcircuits of recurrent inhibition mediated by distinct inhibitory interneuron types and the modes of synaptic transmission,such as the analog mode of signal communication and asyn-chronous neurotransmitter release,play critical roles in maintaining the excitation and inhibition balance. Together,we present here some new insights into the mechanisms underlying the excitability of distinct types of cortical neurons and their interconnected networks.
