Dendritic Mechanisms for In Vivo Neural Computations and Behavior

Abstract

Dendrites receive the vast majority of a single neuron’s inputs, and coordinate the transformation of these signals into neuronal output. Ex vivo and theoretical evidence has shown that dendrites possess powerful processing capabilities, yet little is known about how these mechanisms are engaged in the intact brain or how they influence circuit dynamics. New experimental and computational technologies have led to a surge in interest to unravel and harness their computational potential. This review highlights recent and emerging work that combines established and cutting-edge technologies to identify the role of dendrites in brain function. We discuss active dendritic mediation of sensory perception and learning in neocortical and hippocampal pyramidal neurons. Complementing these physiological findings, we present theoretical work that provides new insights into the underlying computations of single neurons and networks by using biologically plausible implementations of dendritic processes. Finally, we present a novel brain–computer interface task, which assays somatodendritic coupling to study the mechanisms of biological credit assignment. Together, these findings present exciting progress in understanding how dendrites are critical for in vivo learning and behavior, and highlight how subcellular processes can contribute to our understanding of both biological and artificial neural computation.