Title: Cable energy function of cortical axons

Speaker:  Prof. Yuguo Yu ( Fudan University )

Time: Sat, Nov.21 2020, PM: 16:00-17:00

Location:  4318, Building No.4, Wushan Campus

Inviter: Prof. Shenquan Liu

Abstract:

    Accurate estimation of action potential (AP)-related metabolic cost is essential for understanding energetic constraints on brain connections and signaling processes. We first derived a full cable energy function for cortical axons based on classic Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) neuronal equation and then apply the cable energy function to precisely estimate the energy consumption of AP conduction along axons with different geometric shapes. We have also discussed several equivalent forms of cable energy function with boundary conditions. The approach predicts an inhomogeneous distribution of metabolic cost along an axon with either uniformly or nonuniformly distributed ion channels. The results show that the Na+-counting method severely underestimates energy cost in the cable model by 20%-70%. AP propagation along axons that differ in length may require over 15% more energy per unit of axon area than that required by a point model. However, actual energy cost can vary greatly depending on axonal branching complexity, ion channel density distributions, and AP conduction states.