Validation of the NMDA mechanisms.

<p>A. Experimental traces showing current responses at the soma of a pyramidal neuron following generation of an action potential in a nearby connected pyramidal neuron within the PFC <a href="http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002489#pcbi.1002489-Wang3" target="_blank">[31]</a>. The current response at −70 mV corresponds to the AMPA current while the current response at +60 mV corresponds to the NMDA current. B. Simulated somatic current recordings at −70 mV (AMPA) and at +60 mV (NMDA) in response to activation of 5 synapses at the basal dendrites of the RS (B1) and the IB (B2) model neuron. C. Experimental traces showing generation of NMDA spikes at the basal dendrites of cortical neurons <a href="http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002489#pcbi.1002489-Nevian1" target="_blank">[32]</a>. Top two traces correspond to dendritic (red) and somatic (blue) traces in response to unitary glutamate uncaging. The bottom red traces correspond to dendritic voltage responses to increasingly more glutamate uncaging and the bottom blue traces to the corresponding somatic responses. The black trace (amongst the red ones) corresponds to the dendritic voltage response in the presence of NMDA receptor blocker APV. D. Simulated dendritic and somatic voltage responses of the RS (D1) and IB (D2) model neurons. The top two sets of traces are dendritic (red) and somatic (blue) voltage responses to stimulation at the basal dendrites with increasing number of synapses (10, 20, 40 and 50 synapses, shown as traces with increasing amplitude). The bottom two sets of traces are dendritic (red) and somatic (black) voltage responses to stimulation of an increasing number of synapses at the basal dendrites (10, 20, 40 and 50 synapses, shown as traces with increasing amplitude). In both neuron models, at least 40 synapses were required for NMDA spikes to be generated.