Definition
Compartmental neuron models represent the complex geometry of a neuron as a set of electrically connected compartments, each of which is considered to be isopotential (i.e., the membrane voltage does not vary along the length of the compartment). Compartmental models of spinal motoneurons can be divided into three groups based on the extent to which they rely on a simplified version of dendritic morphology: (1) detailed compartmental models, which attempt to accurately represent the dendritic morphology based on anatomical reconstructions of stained motoneurons; (2) cable models, in which the branching structure of the dendritic tree is collapsed into one or more equivalent cables; and (3) two-compartment models, in which the dendritic tree is represented by a single lumped compartment that is connected to a compartment representing the soma and initial portion of the axon.
Detailed Description
Motoneurons have the largest dendritic trees of any neuron in the mammalian...
References
Barrett JN (1975) Motoneuron dendrites: role in synaptic integration. Fed Proc 34:1398–1407
Bender KJ, Trussell LO (2012) The physiology of the axon initial segment. Annu Rev Neurosci 35:249–265
Booth V, Rinzel J, Kiehn O (1997) Compartmental model of vertebrate motoneurons for Ca2+-dependent spiking and plateau potentials under pharmacological treatment. J Neurophysiol 78:3371–3385
Bui TV, Ter-Mikaelian M, Bedrossian D, Rose PK (2006) Computational estimation of the distribution of L-type Ca(2+) channels in motoneurons based on variable threshold of activation of persistent inward currents. J Neurophysiol 95:225–241
Bui TV, Grande G, Rose PK (2008) Relative location of inhibitory synapses and persistent inward currents determines the magnitude and mode of synaptic amplification in motoneurons. J Neurophysiol 99:583–594
Burke RE (1967) Composite nature of the monosynaptic excitatory postsynaptic potential. J Neurophysiol 30:1114–1137
Burke RE, Glenn LL (1996) Horseradish peroxidase study of the spatial and electrotonic distribution of group Ia synapses on type-identified ankle extensor motoneurons in the cat. J Comp Neurol 372:465–485
Carlin KP, Bui TV, Dai Y, Brownstone RM (2009) Staircase currents in motoneurons: insight into the spatial arrangement of calcium channels in the dendritic tree. J Neurosci 29:5343–5353
Clements JD, Redman SJ (1989) Cable properties of cat spinal motoneurones measured by combining voltage clamp, current clamp and intracellular staining. J Physiol Lond 409:63–87
Cushing S, Bui T, Rose PK (2005) Effect of nonlinear summation of synaptic currents on the input–output properties of spinal motoneurons. J Neurophysiol 94:3465–3478
Dodge FA, Cooley JW (1973) Action potential of the motoneuron. IBM J Res Dev 17:219–229
Eccles JC (1964) The physiology of synapses. Springer, Berlin
Elbasiouny SM, Bennett DJ, Mushahwar VK (2005) Simulation of dendritic CaV1.3 channels in cat lumbar motoneurons: spatial distribution. J Neurophysiol 94:3961–3974
Elbasiouny SM, Bennett DJ, Mushahwar VK (2006) Simulation of Ca2+ persistent inward currents in spinal motoneurones: mode of activation and integration of synaptic inputs. J Physiol 570:355–374
Fleshman JW, Segev I, Burke RB (1988) Electrotonic architecture of type-identified alpha-motoneurons in the cat spinal cord. J Neurophysiol 60:60–85
Grande G, Bui TV, Rose PK (2007a) Effect of localized innervation of the dendritic trees of feline motoneurons on the amplification of synaptic input: a computational study. J Physiol 583:611–630
Grande G, Bui TV, Rose PK (2007b) Estimates of the location of L-type Ca2+ channels in motoneurons of different sizes: a computational study. J Neurophysiol 97:4023–4035
Heckman CJ, Lee RH, Brownstone RM (2003) Hyperexcitable dendrites in motoneurons and their neuromodulatory control during motor behavior. Trends Neurosci 26:688–695
Heckman CJ, Johnson M, Mottram C, Schuster J (2008) Persistent inward currents in spinal motoneurons and their influence on human motoneuron firing patterns. Neuroscientist 14:264–275
Heyer CB, Llinas R (1977) Control of rhythmic firing in normal and axotomized cat spinal motoneurons. J Neurophysiol 40:480–488
Hodgkin AL, Huxley AF (1952) A quantitative description of membrane current and its application to conduction and excitation in nerve. J Physiol 116:500–544 (London)
Jack JJ, Noble D, Tsien RW (1975) Electric current flow in excitable cells. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Kernell D (2006) The motoneurone and its muscle fibers. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Kim H, Jones KE (2010) Asymmetric electrotonic coupling between the soma and dendrites alters the bistable firing behaviour of reduced models. J Comput Neurosci
Koch C (1999) Biophysics of computation: information processing in single neurons. Oxford University Press, New York
Korogod SM, Kulagina IB, Horcholle-Bossavit G, Gogan P, Tyc-Dumont S (2000) Activity-dependent reconfiguration of the effective dendritic field of motoneurons. J Comp Neurol 422:18–34
Kuno M, Llinas R (1970) Enhancement of synaptic transmission by dendritic potentials in chromatolysed motoneurones of the cat. J Physiol 210:807–821
Powers RK, Binder MD (2001) Input–output functions of mammalian motoneurons. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 143:137–263
Powers RK, Elbasiouny SM, Rymer WZ, Heckman CJ (2012a) Contribution of intrinsic properties and synaptic inputs to motoneuron discharge patterns: a simulation study. J Neurophysiol 107:808–823
Powers RK, Nardelli P, Cope TC (2012b) Frequency-dependent amplification of stretch-evoked excitatory input in spinal motoneurons. J Neurophysiol 108:753–759
Rall W (1977) Core conductor theory and cable properties of neurons. In: Handbook of physiology, The nervous system, cellular biology of neurons. American Physiological Society, Bethesda, pp 39–97
Rall W, Burke RE, Smith TG, Nelson PG, Frank K (1967) Dendritic location of synapses and possible mechanisms for the monosynaptic EPSP in motoneurons. J Neurophysiol 30:1169–1193
Rall W, Burke RE, Holmes WR, Jack JJ, Redman SJ, Segev I (1992) Matching dendritic neuron models to experimental data. Physiol Rev 86:S159–S185
Schwindt PC, Calvin WH (1973) Nature of conductances underlying rhythmic firing in cat spinal motoneurons. J Neurophysiol 36:955–973
Segev I, Fleshman JW, Burke RB (1989) Compartmental models of complex neurons. In: Koch C, Segev I (eds) Methods in neuronal modeling: from synapses to networks. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA
Segev I, Fleshman JWJ, Burke RE (1990) Computer simulation of group Ia EPSPs using morphologically realistic models of cat alpha-motoneurons. J Neurophysiol 64:648–660
Sernagor E, Yarom Y, Werman R (1986) Sodium-dependent regenerative responses in dendrites of axotomized motoneurons in the cat. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 83:7966–7970
Shapiro NP, Lee R (2007) Synaptic amplification versus bistablility in motoneuron dendritic processing: a top-down modeling approach. J Neurophysiol 97:3948–3960
Traub RD, Llinas R (1977) The spatial distribution of ionic conductances in normal and axotomized motoneurons. Neuroscience 2:829–849
Venugopal S, Hamm TM, Crook SM, Jung R (2011) Modulation of inhibitory strength and kinetics facilitates regulation of persistent inward currents and motoneuron excitability following spinal cord injury. J Neurophysiol 106:2167–2179
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this entry
Cite this entry
Powers, R. (2014). Compartmental Models of Spinal Motoneurons. In: Jaeger, D., Jung, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_741-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_741-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7320-6
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences