A model of dendritic spine Ca super(2+) concentration exploring possible bases for a sliding synaptic modification threshold

We used a biophysical model of an isolated dendritic spine to assess quantitatively the impact of changes in spine geometry, Ca super(2+) buffer concentration, and channel kinetics on Ca super(2+) dynamics following high-frequency activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. We found that varying the buffer concentration in the postsynaptic density from 50 to 500 mu M can result in an 8-fold difference in the peak Ca super(2+) concentration following three pulses at 100 Hz. Similarly, varying the spine neck diameter from 0.1 to 0.55 mu m can result in a 15-fold difference in the peak Ca super(2+) concentration. The amplification of peak Ca super(2+) concentration also depended on temporal summation of N-methyl-D-aspartate-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents. Variation of the current duration on the order of 100 msec can significantly affect summation at a given stimulation frequency, resulting in a 10-fold difference in the peak Ca super(2+) concentration at 100 Hz. It is suggested that activity-dependent modifications of these parameters may be important for the regulation of synaptic plasticity in the brain.