Although neuronal excitability is well understood and accurately modeled over timescales of up to hundreds of milliseconds, it is currently unclear whether extrapolating from this limited duration to longer behaviorally relevant timescales is appropriate. Here we used an extracellular recording and stimulation paradigm that extends the duration of single-neuron electrophysiological experiments,...

Altering neurotransmitter levels within the nervous system can cause profound changes in behavior and neuronal function. Neurotransmitter transporters play important roles in regulating neurotransmitter levels by performing neurotransmitter reuptake. It was previously shown that mutations in the Drosophila inebriated (ine)-encoded neurotransmitter transporter cause increased neuronal excitabili...

In nearly all adult vertebrates, the vasculature is of key importance for supplying nutrients and oxygen to the brain. Throughout the nervous system, neurons and blood vessels align closely to form the neurovascular unit [1]. Little is known, however, about the causal role of the vasculature during the embryonic establishment of neuronal pathways and functional activity. In addition, little inf...

The paper studies the excitability properties of a generalized FitzHugh-Nagumo model. The model differs from the purely competitive FitzHugh-Nagumo model in that it accounts for the effect of cooperative gating variables such as activation of calcium currents. Excitability is explored by unfolding a pitchfork bifurcation that is shown to organize five different types of excitability. In additio...

In experimental studies, electrical stimulation (ES) has been applied to induce neuronal activity or to disrupt pathological patterns. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms of these activity pattern transitions are not clear. To study these phenomena, we simulated a model of the hippocampal region CA1. The computational simulations using different amplitude levels and duration of ES revealed ...

Objective(s): While traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a predisposing factor for development of post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE), the occurrence of seizures following brain trauma can infuriate adverse consequences of brain injury. However, the effect of seizures in epileptogenesis after mild TBI cannot yet be accurately confirmed. This study was designed to investigate the ...

Voltage-gated K(+) channels are key regulators of neuronal excitability. The Kv2.1 voltage-gated K(+) channel is the major delayed rectifier K(+) channel expressed in most central neurons, where it exists as a highly phosphorylated protein. Kv2.1 plays a critical role in homoeostatic regulation of intrinsic neuronal excitability through its activity- and calcineurin-dependent dephosphorylation....

A-type potassium currents are important determinants of neuronal excitability. In spinal cord dorsal horn neurons, A-type currents are modulated by extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), which mediate central sensitization during inflammatory pain. Here, we report that Kv4.2 mediates the majority of A-type current in dorsal horn neurons and is a critical site for modulation of neuronal ...

Activity-dependent changes in synaptic strength are well established as mediating long-term plasticity underlying learning and memory, but modulation of target neuron excitability could complement changes in synaptic strength and regulate network activity. It is thought that homeostatic mechanisms match intrinsic excitability to the incoming synaptic drive, but evidence for involvement of volta...