[Neuropostdocs] Weekly NSP Seminar on 1/22/02
Joan Cornell
jcornell@life.uiuc.edu
Thu, 03 Jan 2002 13:33:42 -0600
The weekly Neuroscience Program Seminar will be held on Tuesday, January
22, 2002 at 4:00 pm in room 5602 of the Beckman Institute.
Speaker:
Dr. Ray W. Turner
Associate Professor
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy
Neuroscience Research Group
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Title of Presentation: Dendritic Control of Gamma-Frequency Burst
Discharge in Electrosensory Neurons
Abstract:
Gamma frequency burst discharge is recognized as an important aspect of
feature detection and synchronization of neural ensembles. Pyramidal cells
of the electrosensory lobe of weakly electric fish generate spike bursts
for the purpose of detecting specific stimulus features in surrounding
electric fields. Spike bursts in the gamma frequency range (40 - 80 Hz)
are generated by a newly recognized interaction between somatic and
dendritic membranes that depends on a periodic failure of spike
backpropagation from soma to dendritic regions. Electrophysiological
recording in vitro and compartmental modeling indicates that this process
of "Conditional Backpropagation" results from a cumulative inactivation of
dendritic K+ channels and positive feedback by a persistent Na+
current. These interactions provide a simple and eloquent mechanism for
producing burst discharge in the gamma frequency range, a neural output
increasingly recognized in a wide range of central neurons.
Dr. Marc Nelson is serving as Dr. Turner's host. If you would like to meet
with Dr. Turner during his visit please contact Dr. Nelson at
m-nelson@staff.uiuc.edu and he'll make these arrangements for you.
Students who would like to have lunch with Dr. Turner should contact Victor
Wang at vwang@students.uiuc.edu.
Joan
Joan Cornell
Neurosciences Program
University of Illinois
393 Morrill Hall, MC-119
505 S. Goodwin Ave.
Urbana, IL 61801
Telephone: 217/333-3166
FAX: 217/265-0927
jcornell@life.uiuc.edu