Does reliable neuromodulation require that neuronal network parameters are tightly regulated?

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jan Vargas, Emory University; Astrid Prinz, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2007
• Publisher: BioMed Central
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2007 Vargas and Prinz
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2202-8-S2-P195
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: BMC Neuroscience
• ISSN: 1471-2202
• Volume: 8
• Issue: Suppl 2
• Start Page: P195
• End Page: P195
• Grant/Funding Information: We gratefully acknowledge support from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the Sloan Foundation, and NIH R01 NS054911-01A1
• Research Categories: Biology, General; Biology, Neuroscience

Abstract

Previous experimental results and simulation studies show that similar spontaneous electrical activity can arise from different cellular and synaptic properties, both at the level of single neurons and at the level of neuronal circuits [1,2]. Neuronal circuits thus appear to have large "solution spaces" at their disposal, rather than having to fine-tune their cellular and synaptic parameters to specific values in order to function properly. On the other hand, neuromodulators often have reliable and reproducible effects on the same circuit in different animals [3]. If different animals generate the same circuit output on the basis of different circuit properties, how can they react in the same way to application of a neuromodulator?