A Nonlinear Dynamics Approach to Understanding Synaptic Coding
Dr. Michael Stiber
Dept. of Molecular and Cell Biology, U.C. Berkeley
Wed., Nov. 27th, 12:00, 101 LSA
Host: John Miller
Abstract:
It has been acknowledged for some time that synaptic interactions are
far more complex than that captured by statements such as "inhibitory"
or "excitatory". For example, in the prototypical gabaergic
ihibitory synapse, involving the crayfish slowly-adapting stretch
receptor organ (SAO), presynaptic pacemaker trains can elicit either
postsynaptic acceleration or deceleration, depending on a variety of
factors.
Understanding the dynamical rules which govern SAO behavior has
greatly clarified the matter. These rules have been determined by
application of techniques from the field of Nonlinear Dynamics to data
from the living preparation and simulations. They explain to a great
extent the postsynaptic cell's responses to pacemaker, transient, and
rate modulated presynaptic trains. They also clarify the possible
roles of noise in these and other responses. Beyond this, the
universal nature of dynamical behaviors allows for the application of
observations specific to the SAO to activity involving other synapses,
such as those which include the potentiation processes that underlie
memory.
Dr. Michael Stiber received his PhD in Computer Science from UCLA in
1992. He spent the next four years as an Assistant Professor in the
Department of Computer Science at the Hong Kong University of Science
Technology.