Dendritic Spike

In neurophysiology, a dendritic spike refers to an action potential generated in the dendrite of a neuron. Dendrites are branched extensions of a neuron. They receive electrical signals emitted from projecting neurons and transfer these signals to the cell body, or soma. Dendritic signaling has traditionally been viewed as a passive mode of electrical signaling. Unlike its axon counterpart which can generate signals through action potentials, dendrites were believed to only have the ability to propagate electrical signals by physical means: changes in conductance, length, cross sectional area, etc. However, a large body of evidence now makes it clear that dendrites are active neuronal structures. Dendrites contain voltage-gated ion channels giving them the ability to generate action potentials. Dendritic spikes have been recorded in numerous types of neurons in the brain and are thought to have great implications in neuronal communication, memory, and learning.

A dendritic spike is initiated in the same manner as that of an axonal action potential. Depolarization of the dendritic membrane causes sodium and potassium voltage-gated ion channels to open. The influx of sodium ions causes an increase in voltage. If the voltage increases past a certain threshold, the sodium current activates other voltage-gated sodium channels transmitting a current along the dendrite. Dendritic spikes can be generated through both sodium and calcium voltage-gated channels. Dendritic spikes usually transmit signals at a much slower rate than axonal action potentials. Local voltage thresholds for dendritic spike initiation are usually higher than that of action potential initiation in the axon; therefore, spike initiation usually requires a strong input.