Black box revisited: a technique for estimating postsynaptic potentials in neurons

• Published in: Trends in neurosciences (Regular ed.) Vol. 28; no. 7; pp. 379 - 386
• Main Authors: Türker, K.S., Powers, R.K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2005; Elsevier Science; Elsevier Sequoia S.A
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Brain research; Electric Stimulation - methods; Estimating techniques; Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials - physiology; Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials - radiation effects; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects. Models. Methods; Humans; Membrane Potentials - physiology; Muscles - physiology; Neural Inhibition - physiology; Neural Inhibition - radiation effects; Neurology; Neurons; Neurons - classification; Neurons - physiology; Neurons - radiation effects; Somesthesis and somesthetic pathways (proprioception, exteroception, nociception); interoception; electrolocation. Sensory receptors; Time Factors; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Human; Slice method; Rat; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Electrophysiology; Excitability; Review; Encephalon; Wiring; Vertebrata; Accuracy; Mammalia; Postsynaptic neuron; Postsynaptic potential; Technique
• ISSN: 0166-2236; 1878-108X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2005.05.007

Our understanding of the operation of the brain depends on knowledge of its wiring. Currently, the wiring of the human brain is estimated by counting the number of neuron discharges that occur at specific times following a stimulus. There is now strong evidence that this approach generates significant errors. Recently, the accuracy of this ‘count’ method has been compared directly with an alternative ‘rate’ method in rat brain slices. The results confirmed that the count method generates significant errors that are minimized by the rate method, because the rate of discharge of a neuron accurately displays its excitability at the time of discharge. Therefore, it is now crucial that the rate method be used to reassess previous estimates of the characteristics of wiring in the brain.