Event Abstract

Models of Neurons and Synapses with Physiologically Justified Dimension Reduction

  • 1 Philipps-University Marburg, Institute of Physiology, Germany
  • 2 Elbe Clinics Stade, Germany

We present mechanism-based models of neurons and synapses to demonstrate physiologically and pathophysiologically relevant dynamics of neuronal information processing. Our simulations are built up on the Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) type approach which has the advantage that all variables and parameters have a physiological correlate which, in principle, can experimentally be accessed. The disadvantage of such models is that they easily can become very complicated which makes the physiological and dynamical relevance of the diverse control parameters difficult to estimate. In these situations, a systematic and physiologically justified dimension reduction is required.

We describe a generic HH-type mode model neuron which has been reduced to four dimensions but nevertheless can account for almost all impulse patterns which so far could be seen in the central and peripheral nervous system [1]. We will demonstrate, in comparison with experimental recordings, how such a model can be used to evaluate physiologically relevant parameter constellations for the generation of particular impulse patterns.

We additionally will present a simplified, dimension-reduced version of the original HH-model neuron which is used as a teaching tool in life-science education (medical, pharmaceutical, biophysical and related faculties) towards a better understanding of the interrelations between current- and voltage-clamp experiments (http://www.clabs.de/).

The same concept has been used for the modelling of synaptic transmission which simulates the activation of ionotropic as well as metabotropic postsynaptic receptors with appropriate superposition of postsynaptic currents and potentials in response to presynaptic spike trains. This model can account for clinically most relevant aspects of synaptic disturbances like impaired transmitter availability or reduced number of postsynaptic receptors as well as for their internalization or embedding as a function of transmitter concentration. It also allows to simulate major drug effects e.g. of receptor agonists and antagonists or re-uptake inhibitors.

It is a major advantage of our dimension-reduced but physiologically based approaches that they can be adjusted to different types of neurons and synapses and can easily be extended, e.g. by additional receptors or ion channels, whenever this is suggested by new clinical or experimental data.

References

1. Braun HA, Voigt K, Huber MT (2003) Oscillations, Resonances and Noise: Basis of Flexible Neuronal Pattern Generation. Biosystems 71: 39-50

Conference: Neuroinformatics 2009, Pilsen, Czechia, 6 Sep - 8 Sep, 2009.

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Topic: Computational neuroscience

Citation: Braun-Hans A, Postnova S, Voigt K and Huber-Martin T (2019). Models of Neurons and Synapses with Physiologically Justified Dimension Reduction. Front. Neuroinform. Conference Abstract: Neuroinformatics 2009. doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.11.2009.08.117

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Received: 25 May 2009; Published Online: 09 May 2019.

* Correspondence: Albert Braun-Hans, Philipps-University Marburg, Institute of Physiology, Marburg, Germany, braun@staff.uni-marburg.de