Temporal Interactions Between Postsynaptic Potentials

Abstract

The previous two chapters have introduced two of the essential ingredients for the description of neuronal behavior. Chapter 5 has discussed the passive propagation of synaptic inputs through the dendritic tree to the soma and the initial axon segment. Here, voltage-activated channels (Chapter 4) respond to produce the action potentials that are conducted along the axon, resulting in a release of neurotransmitters at the presynaptic terminals. The present chapter deals with the response of the postsynaptic region to this input — namely, with the development of the postsynaptic potential (PSP).