Spine-to-Dendrite Calcium Modeling Discloses Relevance for Precise Positioning of Ryanodine Receptor-Containing Spine Endoplasmic Reticulum.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) forms a complex endomembrane network that reaches into the cellular compartments of a neuron, including dendritic spines. Recent work discloses that the spine ER is a dynamic structure that enters and leaves spines. While evidence exists that ER Ca release is involved in synaptic plasticity, the role of spine ER morphology remains unknown.

Anatomically Detailed and Large-Scale Simulations Studying Synapse Loss and Synchrony Using NeuroBox.

The morphology of neurons and networks plays an important role in processing electrical and biochemical signals. Based on neuronal reconstructions, which are becoming abundantly available through databases such as NeuroMorpho.org, numerical simulations of Hodgkin-Huxley-type equations, coupled to biochemical models, can be performed in order to systematically investigate the influence of cellular morphology and the connectivity pattern in networks on the underlying function.

1D-3D hybrid modeling-from multi-compartment models to full resolution models in space and time.

Investigation of cellular and network dynamics in the brain by means of modeling and simulation has evolved into a highly interdisciplinary field, that uses sophisticated modeling and simulation approaches to understand distinct areas of brain function. Depending on the underlying complexity, these models vary in their level of detail, in order to cope with the attached computational cost. Hence for large network simulations, single neurons are typically reduced to time-dependent signal processors, dismissing the spatial aspect of each cell.