Modeling a Nociceptive Neuro-Immune Synapse Activated by ATP and 5-HT in Meninges: Novel Clues on Transduction of Chemical Signals Into Persistent or Rhythmic Neuronal Firing.

Extracellular ATP and serotonin (5-HT) are powerful triggers of nociceptive firing in the meninges, a process supporting headache and whose cellular mechanisms are incompletely understood. The current study aimed to develop, with the neurosimulator NEURON, a novel approach to explore in silico the molecular determinants of the long-lasting, pulsatile nature of migraine attacks. The present model included ATP and 5-HT release, ATP diffusion and hydrolysis, 5-HT uptake, differential activation of ATP P2X or 5-HT3 receptors, and receptor subtype-specific desensitization.

Neural electrical activity and neural network growth.

The development of central and peripheral neural system depends in part on the emergence of the correct functional connectivity in its input and output pathways. Now it is generally accepted that molecular factors guide neurons to establish a primary scaffold that undergoes activity-dependent refinement for building a fully functional circuit. However, a number of experimental results obtained recently shows that the neuronal electrical activity plays an important role in the establishing of initial interneuronal connections.

The effect of the neural activity on topological properties of growing neural networks.

The connectivity structure in cortical networks defines how information is transmitted and processed, and it is a source of the complex spatiotemporal patterns of network's development, and the process of creation and deletion of connections is continuous in the whole life of the organism. In this paper, we study how neural activity influences the growth process in neural networks. By using a two-dimensional activity-dependent growth model we demonstrated the neural network growth process from disconnected neurons to fully connected networks.

Modeling of interstitial branching of axonal networks.

A mathematical model is developed to describe and investigate interstitial branching of axonal networks during nervous system development. The model under consideration describes axonal network growth in which the concentration of axon guidance molecules controls axon's growth and interstitial branching from axon shaft. Numerical simulations show that in the model framework axonal networks branch similarly to real neural networks in vitro.

Morpholess neurons compromise the development of cortical connectivity.

It is currently accepted that cortical maps are dynamic constructions that are altered in response to external input. Experience-dependent structural changes in cortical microcircuits lead to changes of activity, i.e.