Abstract
Double whole cell recordings and voltage-sensitive dye imaging from the dendrites of pyramidal neurons revealed that the membrane of the apical dendrites is electrically leakier than that of other locations. A theoretical analysis predicts that the impact of synaptic inputs on the distal part of the dendrites can be more effective when the membrane resistivity is lower towards the end of the dendrite than when the resistivity is uniform. The distribution of resistivity along the soma-dendritic axis may have important implications on synaptic integration much as the active electrical properties of the dendrites.
