Burst firing

Figure 7.3 Interspike interval (ISI) histograms of midbrain dopamine neural firing in behaving rats (reproduced with permission from (Miller et al. 1983)). Note the nearly identical mean intervals, consistent with reported mean firing rate similarities between SWS and REM sleep, as opposed to the broader ISI range observed in REM sleep, reflective of the burst firing in a significant subpopulation of neurons (contrast the widths of the dashed bars above the histograms).

Grenhoff J., Janson A. M., Svensson T. H., Fuxe K. (1991). Chronic continuous nicotine treatment causes decreased burst firing of nigral dopamine neurons in rats partially hemitransected at the meso-diencephalic junction. Brain Res. 562, 347-51. 

Gariano, R.F. and Groves, P.M., Burst firing induced in mid-brain dopamine neurons by stimulation of the medial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, Brain Res., 462, 194, 1988. 

Hajos, M. and Sharp, T., A 5-hydroxytryptamine lesion markedly reduces the incidence of burst-firing dorsal raphe neurones in the rat, Neurosci. Lett. 204(3), 161-164, 1996. 

Much interest is also centered on the role of calcium channels in neuronal activity, since the depolarization associated with burst firing is mediated by the activation... 

Mecfianism of Action An anticonvulsant that inhibits burst firing without affecting normal neuronal excitability. Therapeutic Effect Prevents seizure activity. Pharmacokinetics Rapidly and almost completely absorbed through the GI tract. Protein binding less than 10%. Insignificant amount metabolized in liver. Excreted in urine. Removed by hemodialysis. Half-life 7 hr. 

T-type calcium channels play critical roles in shaping the electrical and plastic properties of neurons and are also implicated in hormone secretion, differentiation and muscle development (Huguenard, 1996 Perez-Reyes, 2003). In thalamic reticular and relay neurons, T-type channels contribute to rhythmic rebound burst firing and spindle waves associated with slow-wave sleep. T-type channels also play crucial roles in dendritic integration and calcium-mediated spiking in hippocampal pyramidal cells, and in synaptic release at olfactory dendrodendritic... 

Kim D, Song I, Keum S, Lee T, Jeong MJ, Kim SS, McEnery MW, Shin HS (2001) Lack of the burst firing of thalamocortical relay neurons and resistance to absence seizures in mice lacking alpha(lG) T-type Ca(2+) channels. Neuron 31 35-45. 

The NE system plays an important role in the perception, modulation, and response to the pain. Nociceptive stimuli arrive into the LC via the PGI pathway. NE neurons respond to the nociceptive stimuli by burst firing followed by silence (Dremencov et al., 2007a Dremencov et al., 2007c Szabo and Blier 2001b Szabo and Blier 2001d Szabo and Blier 2001g Szabo... 

Pape HC, McCormick DA. Noradrenaline and serotonin selectively modulate thalamic burst firing by enhancing a hyperpolarization-activated cation current. Nature 1989 340 715-718. 

Jensen, M.S., and Yaari, Y. Role of intrinsic burst firing, potassium accumulation, and electrical coupling in the elevated potassium model of hippocampal epilepsy. J Neurophysiol 1997, 77 1224— 1233. 

Huguenard JR, Prince DA (1992) A novel T-type current underlies prolonged Ca(2+)-dependent burst firing in GABAergic neurons of the rat thalamic reticular nucleus. J Neurosci 12(10) 3804—3817... 

Cox BA, Johnson SW (1998) Nitric oxide facilitates N-methyl- D-aspartate-induced burst firing in dopamine neurons from rat midbrain slices. Neurosci Lett 255 131-134. 

Schilstrom B, Mameli-Engvall M, Rawal N, Grillner P, Jardemark K, Svensson TH (2004a) Nitric oxide is involved in nicotine-induced burst firing of rat ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons. Neuroscience 725 957-964. 

Baufreton J, Garret M, Rivera A, de la Calle A, Gonon F, Dufy B, Bioulac B, Taupignon A (2003) D5 (not Dl) dopamine receptors potentiate burst-firing in neurons of the subthalamic nucleus by modulating an L-type calcium conductance. J Neurosci 23 816-825. 

In the following section we consider the localization of receptors in relation to single striatal cells. Are dopamine Dl-like and D2-like receptors colocalized If so, are they differentially activated by tonic and burst firing modes ... 

Grace AA, Bunney BS (1984b) The control of firing pattern in nigral dopamine neurons burst firing. J Neurosci 4 2877-2890. 

Johnson SW, Seutin V, North RA (1992) Burst firing in dopamine neurons induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate role of electrogenic sodium pump. Science 255 665-667. 

---