Microseconds Matter: e1000405

GKLT activates with only small depolarization [26] and sets the time constant of the membrane by reducing the membrane resistance to unusually low values. Because of the GKLT, coincidence detectors typically have very low input resistances and thus very rapid responses to changes in voltage (τ of 0.3-1.5 ms). The longer the initial rise of the compound synaptic potential, the more time GKLT has to activate, the larger the conductance will be at the time of the peak in the EPSP, suppressing the voltage response, and reducing the likelihood of firing an action potential. [...]although the source(s) of the asymmetry in medial superior olive inputs remains open to debate, one major point emerges from the Jercog et al. study, which is that asymmetry in bilateral EPSP shapes could greatly influence coincidence detection and neural codes for ITD.