Passive synaptic normalization and input synchrony-dependent amplification of cortical feedback in thalamocortical neuron dendrites

Abstract

Neurons in first-order thalamic nuclei transmit sensory information from the periphery to the cortex. However, the numerically dominant synaptic input to thalamocortical neurons comes from the cortex, which provides a strong, activity-dependent modulatory feedback influence on information flow through the thalamus. Here, we reveal how individual quantal-sized corticothalamic EPSPs propagate within thalamocortical neuron dendrites and how different spatial and temporal input patterns are integrated by these cells. We find that thalamocortical neurons have voltage- and synchrony-dependent postsynaptic echanisms, involving NMDA receptors and T-type Ca 2 channels that allow nonlinear amplification of integrated corticothalamic EPSPs. These mechanisms significantly increase the responsiveness of thalamocortical neurons to cortical excitatory input and broaden the “modulatory” influence exerted by corticothalamic synapses.