Identification of Synaptic Integration Mode in CA3 Pyramidal Neuron Model

A morphologically realistic and anisotropic model of CA3 pyramidal neuron was developed to determine the synaptic integration modes the neuron is able to perform. Linearity and nonlinearity were identified in different synaptic locations with varying active mechanisms such as the presence of ionic channels in the dendritic arbor and the types of receptors in the synapse. Quantification of synaptic integration was performed using paired-pulse stimulation protocol and subthreshold input/output (sI/O) transformation. Results show that the mode of synaptic integration is location-dependent while the linearity or nonlinearity in the integration is mainly influenced by the active channels and receptors in the neuron. A simple CA3 pyramidal neuron could therefore be considered as a two-layer network of neurons. Its computational power is enhanced by performing linear, sublinear and supralinear integration.