October 12 - Electrophysiological Analysis of Corpus Callosum - Layer V Synapses
Charlotte Du Laney, Calvin College Physics & Astronomy Department student
In a normal brain, the corpus callosum (CC) serves as an information highway between the left and right hemispheres, allowing the two sides of the brain to communicate and coordinate. The purpose of our research was to study what kind of synaptic signals the CC uses to communicate from one side of the brain to Layer V neurons on the other side. This is the first stage in a larger project to compare normal brains to brains were the CC does not cross the midline but forms nerve bundles on either side in a condition known as Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum (ACC) with Probst’s Bundles (PB). In this presentation, I will describe the methods we used to collect data on synaptic transmission. I will also present our data to date on the speed, length and amplitude of synaptic signals from callosally evoked in Layer V neurons, specifically focusing on glutamate and GABA responses.
