This project will utilize a combination of confocal imaging, whole-cell patch recording and anatomical reconstruction techniques to examine interneuronal calcium dynamics in the hippocampal slice preparation. Specifically, it will be aimed at characterizing the spatiotemporal distribution of voltage-gated calcium channels along the somatodendritic axis of various subtypes of CAl interneurons, a topic which is relevant to my long-term goal of studying synaptic plasticity at connections onto interneurons. Should it be the case that active calcium conductances are present on the dendrites of interneurons, my future work would be directed at determining whether interneurons support the same forms of Hebbian plasticity that have been characterized in principal cells. Furthermore, given that there are separate lines of evidence that dysfunctional interneurons and voltage-gated calcium channels contribute to epilepsy, this research could provide additional insight into the nature of epileptogenesis.
