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Journal of Experimental Biology 59,315-321 (1973)
Published by Company of Biologists 1973

Relative Contribution of Synaptic and Non-Synaptic Influences to Response Decrements in a Post-Synaptic Neurone

CATHY LAMAR STEPHENS ¹

¹ Department of Physiology, Center for the Health Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024

1. Repeated trans-synaptic stimulation of the giant neurone in the abdominal ganglion from Aplysia californica produced decrements of nervous activity.

2. Although the EPSP amplitude decreased during the stimulation, the firing probability of the post-synaptic neurone continued to decrease after the amplitude had reached a constant low value.

3. When the cell was hyperpolarized and stimulated until the EPSP had decreased to a constant low value, the firing probability immediately after removal of the hyper polarization was the same as with no previous stimulation.

4. These results and previous work suggest that a process occurring in the post-synaptic neurone, independent of synaptic modification, may contribute significantly to habituation-like phenomena.