I'm new to neuroscience research and came across a term called negative spikes (sometimes also used in conjunction with the term biphasic spike), but could not find what it meant from scientific papers. Can a spike occur in a negative direction (hyperpolarization from the resting potential first, followed by depolarization) or does this term mean something else entirely?
Asked
Active
Viewed 143 times
-1
-
This would probably get a better answer on https://psychology.stackexchange.com/ or https://biology.stackexchange.com/ – Justas Jan 19 '18 at 15:50
-
Thank you so much! I'll try that. – grad_student Jan 19 '18 at 16:11
-
4I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because the topic is psychology, not computer programming. – Armen Michaeli Nov 20 '18 at 20:04
1 Answers
3
Such a terminology most likely refers to extracellularly detected action potentials. Depending on the geometrical proximity as well as the interface properties of the recording probe (e.g. a metal microelectrode in the electrolyte surrounding the neuron), and depending on the neuronal compartment that is being closely detected (e.g. the soma, the axon, the dendrite), the extracellular waveform detected might be with positive or negative peak.
Such a "polarity" indicates on a first approximation the redistribution of the ions outside the cell, when e.g. an action potential was fired by the cell.
An action potential cannot occur with anything other than the usual depolarisation up to 50mV and subsequent repolarization to ~-70mV.
Michele
- 53
- 5