Comparison of passive cable model predictions and physiologic measurements of CA1 hippocampal neurons

A passive dendritic cable model, derived from the detailed structure of CA1 pyramidal neurons, has been used to compare predictions of electrotonic length, synaptic potential generation and dendritic conduction with physiologic measurements. Comparison of fast excitatory synaptic potentials from experimental and modeling approaches has indicated probable passive conduction of these signals in pyramidal neuron dendrites. This modeling approach has been extended to simulation of inhibitory and slow excitatory synaptic signals, in terms of location, magnitude and waveform of the conductance change input. The inclusion of specific dendritic structure allows the analysis of electrotonic length and synaptic potentials in normal and pathological dendrites, as in the evaluation of dendritic properties in animal models of senescence and epilepsy