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Summer Program Seminars 2006

Tuesday, June 20, 2006 @ 10:00AM
Cullimore Hall, Room 611
New Jersey Institute of Technology

Windows of Spiking Activity and Synaptic Depression

Jonathan Drover

Department of Mathematical Sciences

New Jersey Institute of Technology

Newark, New Jersey

ABSTRACT

A linear integrate and fire (LIF) cell is used to demonstrate 'windows' of spiking activity when both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs are present.  While both inhibitory and excitatory inputs, both depressing, are present the postsynaptic cell can exhibit an off-on-off transition or an on-off-on transition.  In this talk I will introduce synaptic depression and develop a criterion for when a postsynaptic cell will fire under simultaneous inputs.  I will show how synaptic rise times and characteristics of the depression determine the type and duration of windows of spiking activity.