Compartmental Models Simulating a Dichotomy of Action Potential Backpropagation in Ca1 Pyramidal Neuron Dendrites

In hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons, action potentials are typically initiated in the axon and backpropagate into the dendrites, shaping the integration of synaptic activity and influencing synaptic plasticity. Here we present compartmental models which reveal that a dichotomy in action potential backpropagation can be generated in response to subtle manipulations of the distribution of either sodium or A-type potassium channels in the dendrites. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that the observed dichotomy in dendritic action potential amplitude is conferred primarily by differences in either the distribution, density, or modulatory state of voltage-gated channels along the somatodendritic axis