Full Detonation in the Hippocampus

Full Detonation in the Hippocampus

Klosterneuburg, Austria (Scicasts) — Synapses form connections between neurons. Their network is intricate: a single postsynaptic neuron can be connected with thousands of presynaptic neurons. At the synapse, information is transferred from the presynaptic to the postsynaptic neuron. A key factor in information processing is the strength of the synapse. The neuromuscular junction, the connection between neuron and muscle, and the calyx of Held, a synapse in the auditory brainstem, are strong synapses. Also called full detonators, when one of these presynaptic neurons sends out a single activating signal or action potential, the postsynaptic neuron fires. Whether such detonators also exist in the cortex of the brain has been unclear. In the present study, the authors investigate the synapse between granule cells and CA3 pyramidal cells in the hippocampus, using…


Link to Full Article: Full Detonation in the Hippocampus