A cortical neuron is cultured in the presence of a sodium channel blocker (TTX) for two days. Assuming that synaptic scaling occurs at a relatively constant rate, what would be the most reasonable prediction for the average EPSC after 24 hours in response to stimulation?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Synaptic scaling is a homeostatic mechanism by which neurons adjust the strength of their synapses to maintain stable activity levels. Blocking sodium channels with TTX would reduce neuronal activity, leading to an upscaling of excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) to compensate for the reduced activity, hence an increase to about 150% of control conditions is a reasonable prediction.

A Cortical Neuron Is Cultured in the Presence of a Sodium