The adaptation of spike propagation delays in single and networks of neurones.

Neurons in the brain use action potentials (spikes) to communicate with each other. It is thought that the temporal and spatial summation of these signals is important in this communication,however, how the brain processes these signals is still an open question. In recent years, several studies have reported large variability of spike propagation delays in networks of neurons processing these signals, and it is thought that these delays enrich the storage capacity of the neuronal networks.

Computational studies refer to the spike propagation delays as storage capacity units, and predict that the neuronal network use these delays to time signals and encode information. How these propagation delays are controlled and processed in cortical neurons has yet to be determined.

We are using multisite patch clamp recordings along with photostimulation techniques to study how activity dependent protocols such as STDP affects spike propagation delays in both single and neuronal networks.