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Neuronal excitability
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Thinking about the action potential: the nerve signal as a window to ... frontiersin.org 11 facts
claimEl Hady and Mehta (2015) and Chen et al. (2019) proposed that specific forms of mechanical signaling, such as electrostriction and reverse flexoelectricity, are functionally involved in neuronal excitability.
claimIchiji Tasaki claimed that neuronal excitability is determined by the tuning of the bistable state of the ectoplasmic gel, which exists as a continuum of states ranging from a Ca2+-contracted form to a swollen Na+/K+ form.
claimNeuronal excitability is defined as the ability of neurons to generate and propagate action potentials, which is considered the principal physical characteristic of these cells.
claimCurrent explanatory frameworks for neuronal excitability, including the Hodgkin-Huxley model and its competitors, primarily focus on the physico-chemical characteristics of the axonal membrane as a decoupled interface to explain the electrical and non-electrical manifestations of propagating action potentials.
claimBoth the Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) model and thermodynamics/acoustic physics-based descriptions of nerve signals identify the axonal membrane and voltage-gated ion channels as the "seat" of neuronal excitability.
perspectiveThe authors argue that biophysics-informed approaches incorporating non-electrical signs of the action potential are well-suited to foster a more complete and integrated understanding of neuronal excitability and signal transport.
claimWnek (2016) summarizes that axoplasm gel is not necessary for neuronal excitability, Ca2+ is essential only when present on the outside of the axon, and excitability is reduced or lost if the axon interior is perfused with protease or drugs that interfere with cytoskeletal fibril assembly, growth, or stability.
claimSome groups of bioscientists argue that the current conception of neuronal excitability is too narrow and should be expanded to incorporate both electrical and non-electrical aspects of the nerve impulse into a 'fully coupled model'.
perspectiveThe authors argue that the 'classical' electricity-centered conception of neuronal excitability contains a 'blind spot' that, if addressed, could provide new insights into the physical nature of nerve signals and the role of action potentials.
claimEdgar Adrian was responsible for establishing the concept of 'information' in relation to neuronal excitability by using terms such as 'messages,' 'signals,' and 'codes' to describe the functional capacity of action potentials.
claimIn bottom-up models of neuronal excitability, mechanical manifestations of nerve signals are characterized as epiphenomena that either inevitably accompany electric manifestations or result from the mechanism underlying the electric action potential.
A Hilbertian approach to biological problems | PLOS Complex ... journals.plos.org Nov 5, 2024 1 fact
referenceWilliams AH, O’Leary T, and Marder E. published 'Homeostatic Regulation of Neuronal Excitability' in Scholarpedia in 2013, which details how neurons maintain stable excitability through homeostatic processes.
Neuroanatomy, Neuron Action Potential - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 1 fact
referenceThe article 'Neuronal excitability: voltage-dependent currents and synaptic transmission' by P.A. Rutecki was published in the Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology in April 1992.