The perforant path input (pp) is a major direct source of specific sensory information for the CA1 hippocampal region. The termination area of this pathway, the stratum lacunosum-moleculare, has the highest concentration of dopamine receptors in the hippocampus. We have examined the properties of the pp input and its modulation by dopamine. The input is glutamatergic and has a larger NMDA compo...

Application of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine to conventional hippocampal slices caused a significant reduction of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) elicited by single pulse stimulation to the medial perforant path. Similar but smaller effects were obtained in the lateral perforant path and other excitatory pathways within hippocampus. The reductions were blocke...

Analyzing neural dynamics underlying complex behavior is a major challenge in systems neurobiology. To meet this challenge through computational neuroscience, we have constructed a brain-based device (Darwin X) that interacts with a real environment, and whose behavior is guided by a simulated nervous system incorporating detailed aspects of the anatomy and physiology of the hippocampus and its...

Attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly studied and diagnosed psychiatric disorder in children. Methylphenidate (MPH, e.g., Ritalin) has been used to treat ADHD for over 50 years. It is the most commonly prescribed treatment for ADHD, and in the past decade it was the drug most commonly prescribed to teenagers. In addition, MPH has become one of the most widely abused...

Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated nonselective (HCN) channels modulate both membrane potential and resistance and play a significant role in synaptic plasticity. We compared the influence of HCN channels on long-term depression (LTD) at the medial perforant path-granule cell synapse in early postnatal (P9-15) and adult (P30-60) rats. LTD was elicited in P9-15 slices using low...

Hippocampal slices obtained from C57BL/6 mice (3-25 mo) were used to investigate the effects of aging on excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) elicited in dentate gyrus with lateral perforant path stimulation. The maximal amplitude of the EPSP, as well as the degree of paired-pulse facilitation, was significantly reduced in animals aged 12 mo or more compared with younger animals (<12 mo)....