Impact of the activation rate of the hyperpolarization- activated current I h on the neuronal membrane time constant and synaptic potential duration

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2021

Abstract

The temporal dynamics of membrane voltage changes in neurons is controlled by ionic currents. These currents are characterized by two main properties: conductance and kinetics. The hyperpolarization-activated current (I h) strongly modulates subthreshold potential changes by shortening the excitatory postsynaptic potentials and decreasing their temporal summation. Whereas the shortening of the synaptic potentials caused by the I h conductance is well understood, the role of the I h kinetics remains unclear. Here, we use a model of the I h current model with either fast or slow kinetics to determine its influence on the membrane time constant (τm) of a CA1 pyramidal cell model. Our simulation results show that the I h with fast kinetics decreases τm and attenuates and shortens the excitatory postsynaptic potentials more than the slow I h. We conclude that the I h activation kinetics is able to modulate τm and the temporal properties of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in CA1 pyramidal cells. To elucidate the mechanisms by which I h kinetics controls τm, we propose a new concept called “time scaling factor”. Our main finding is that the I h kinetics influences τm by modulating the contribution of the I h derivative conductance to τm.

Identifier

85107638940 (Scopus)

Publication Title

European Physical Journal Special Topics

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-021-00176-z

e-ISSN

19516401

ISSN

19516355

First Page

2951

Last Page

2961

Issue

14-15

Volume

230

Grant

2013/07699-0

Fund Ref

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

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