Information processing in the axon

International audienceAxons link distant brain regions and are generally regarded as reliable transmission cables in which stable propagation occurs once an action potential has been generated. However, recent experimental and theoretical data indicate that the functional capabilities of axons are much more diverse than traditionally thought. Beyond axonal propagation, intrinsic voltage-gated conductances together with the intrinsic geometrical properties of the axon determine complex phenomena such as branch-point failures and reflected propagation. This review considers recent evidence for the role of these forms of axonal computation in the short-term dynamics of neural communication