On shunting inhibition (Q1080378)

The interaction between excitation and inhibition is analyzed for nerve cylinders when reversal potentials for synaptic action are included. Both impulsive and sustained conductance changes are employed to model synaptic action. Exact results, in terms of Green's functions are obtained for the solutions of the cable equation with reversal potentials when there are impulsive conductance changes. The amplification factor for an inhibitory input due to a prior excitatory input is found exactly. In the case of an infinite cylinder, the dependence of this factor on the spatial separation of the excitatory and inhibitory synapses is one plus a Gaussian density function. Similar results apply when excitation follows inhibition. There is shunting inhibition even for impulsive conductance changes in the cable, but it is very different from that for sustained conductance changes. The interaction of excitation and inhibition is also studied in the full cable equation with reversal potentials and sustained conductance changes. An exact result is obtained for the potential in response to simultaneous excitation and inhibition at the same space point in an infinite cable.