Effects of short-term synaptic plasticity in a local microcircuit on cell firing

Abstract Effects of short-term synaptic plasticity on cell firing properties in a microcircuit formed by a reciprocally connected pyramidal cell and FSN interneuron in layer 2/3 of neocortex were analyzed in a biophysical model. Induction of synaptic depression by backpropagating dendritic action potentials was replicated, as well as the resulting time dependent depression of IPSP amplitudes. Results indicate that the effect of the depression becomes significant above 30 Hz input frequency. The magnitude of the effect depends on the time constant of the dendritic calcium regulating the depression. The frequency range depends on the time constant of the IPSP.