On the molecular level, a model of a dendritic spine is being extended to include calcium binding to calmodulin and calmodulin binding and trapping by CaM-kinase II with the hope of being able to express the essence of these biochemical reactions in a synaptic modification rule. On the synaptic level, diffusion models of the synaptic cleft have been developed to determine more accurate descriptions of NMDA and AMPA conductances for use in neuron level models. On the neuron level, detailed morphology is being used in simulations to determine the range of computational possibilities of neurons as constrained by the spatial and temporal distribution of synaptic and non-synaptic conductances. Methods are being developed to determine appropriate parameter values for the conductances. Models of calmodulin trapping and CaM Kinase II activation in a dendritic spine.
Active dendrites regulate spatio- temporal integration in hippocampal dentate granule cells.
Role of multiple calcium and calcium-dependent conductances in regulation of hippocampal dentate granule cell excitability. Modeling the contributions of calcium channels and NMDA receptor channels to calcium current in dendritic spines. J.M. Bower, editor. Quantifying the role of inhibition in associative long-term potentiation in dentate granule cells with computational models.