Dynamics of cortical dendritic membrane potential and spikes in freely behaving rats

Jason J Moore; Pascal M Ravassard; David Ho; Lavanya Acharya; Ashley L Kees; Cliff Vuong; Mayank R Mehta

doi:10.1126/science.aaj1497

Dynamics of cortical dendritic membrane potential and spikes in freely behaving rats

Science. 2017 Mar 24;355(6331):eaaj1497. doi: 10.1126/science.aaj1497. Epub 2017 Mar 9.

Authors

Jason J Moore^{1

2}, Pascal M Ravassard^{3

4}, David Ho^{3

2}, Lavanya Acharya^{3

5}, Ashley L Kees^{3

2}, Cliff Vuong^{3

4}, Mayank R Mehta^{1

2

4

6}

Affiliations

¹ W. M. Keck Center for Neurophysics, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, and Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. jason.moore@ucla.edu mayankmehta@ucla.edu.
² Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
³ W. M. Keck Center for Neurophysics, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, and Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
⁴ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
⁵ Biomedical Engineering Interdepartmental Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
⁶ Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.

PMID: 28280248
DOI: 10.1126/science.aaj1497

Abstract

Neural activity in vivo is primarily measured using extracellular somatic spikes, which provide limited information about neural computation. Hence, it is necessary to record from neuronal dendrites, which can generate dendritic action potentials (DAPs) in vitro, which can profoundly influence neural computation and plasticity. We measured neocortical sub- and suprathreshold dendritic membrane potential (DMP) from putative distal-most dendrites using tetrodes in freely behaving rats over multiple days with a high degree of stability and submillisecond temporal resolution. DAP firing rates were several-fold larger than somatic rates. DAP rates were also modulated by subthreshold DMP fluctuations, which were far larger than DAP amplitude, indicating hybrid, analog-digital coding in the dendrites. Parietal DAP and DMP exhibited egocentric spatial maps comparable to pyramidal neurons. These results have important implications for neural coding and plasticity.

MeSH terms

Action Potentials
Animals
Behavior, Animal / physiology
Cerebral Cortex / cytology
Cerebral Cortex / physiology*
Dendrites / physiology*
Electrodes, Implanted
Male
Membrane Potentials*
Neuroglia / physiology
Pyramidal Cells / physiology
Rats
Rats, Inbred LEC
Sleep / physiology