There have been hundreds of models of synaptic plasticity. The current effort at SANKET is distinct in:
a) being multiscale, spanning receptor turnover, signaling,spine morphology change, and neurophysiology and
b) being based on a solid dataset of experiments.
The model refers to excitatory synapses on rodent pyramidal neurons, with preference for data from hippocampal CA1 synapses. The current preliminary database of some 20 experiments provides a reference scaffold for key physiology responses (LTP, LTD, short-term plasticity) and major postsynaptic signaling pathways (Ca signaling and the major kinases). The current major focus of this project is to assemble a version 0.1 multiscale model that can be driven by the initial reference dataset of experiments, and show qualitatively reasonable behaviour. Future milestones will be to incorporate a much more detailed set of signaling pathways, drawing from newly recorded experiments and the data from the AutSim project.