Myelin dystrophy impairs signal transmission and working memory in a multiscale model of the aging prefrontal cortex.

Normal aging leads to myelin alterations in the rhesus monkey dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), which are positively correlated with degree of cognitive impairment. It is hypothesized that remyelination with shorter and thinner myelin sheaths partially compensates for myelin degradation, but computational modeling has not yet explored these two phenomena together systematically. Here, we used a two-pronged modeling approach to determine how age-related myelin changes affect a core cognitive function: spatial working memory.

Myelin dystrophy in the aging prefrontal cortex leads to impaired signal transmission and working memory decline: a multiscale computational study.

Normal aging leads to myelin alternations in the rhesus monkey dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), which are often correlated with cognitive impairment. It is hypothesized that remyelination with shorter and thinner myelin sheaths partially compensates for myelin degradation, but computational modeling has not yet explored these two phenomena together systematically. Here, we used a two-pronged modeling approach to determine how age-related myelin changes affect a core cognitive function: spatial working memory.

Spontaneous synaptic drive in detrusor smooth muscle: computational investigation and implications for urinary bladder function.

The detrusor, a key component of the urinary bladder wall, is a densely innervated syncytial smooth muscle tissue. Random spontaneous release of neurotransmitter at neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) in the detrusor gives rise to spontaneous excitatory junction potentials (SEJPs). These sub-threshold passive signals not only offer insights into the syncytial nature of the tissue, their spatio-temporal integration is critical to the generation of spontaneous neurogenic action potentials which lead to focal contractions during the filling phase of the bladder.

Cellular Environment in a Bundle Modulates SEJP Characteristics in Detrusor Smooth Muscle.

Smooth muscle that ensheathes the urinary bladder wall is known as the detrusor. The detrusor has a bundled syncytial architecture where groups of electrically coupled cells form discrete bundles. Electrical activity recorded from detrusor cells is varied.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of synaptic drive in urinary bladder syncytium: A computational investigation.

The urinary bladder wall is composed of the detrusor smooth muscle (DSM) in which adjacent cells are electrically coupled to form a three dimensional syncytium. The structural complexity of the tissue is further enhanced by a distributed innervation pattern. Experimental techniques employed in order to analyze detrusor excitability have been unable as yet to provide a satisfactory understanding of either the normal electrical functioning of the tissue, or of the changes that come about in pathological conditions.