Kim, Han G., Michael Beierlein, and Barry W. Connors. Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912. Summary and Conclusions 1.
Dendrites are also the target of numerous inhibitory synapses.
We examined the interactions between the intrinsic excitability of dendrites and synaptic inhibition using whole-cell recordings from the apical dendrites of layer 5 pyramidal cells. Experiments were performed on slices of somatosensory cortex from mature rats. Slices were bathed in the glutamate receptor antagonists APV and DNQX, and maintained at 32-36 o C. 2. In agreement with previous findings, intradendritic current injection evoked two distinct types of dendritic firing. Type I dendrites generated monophasic fast spikes, whereas type II dendrites showed more complex firing patterns, consisting of fast and slow spike components.