Topic: dendritic diameters

Neurons receive distributed synaptic inputs over complex branched dendritic trees. These dendrites fundamentally allow for connectivity [1] and allow complex computations in space and time [2–4], but also impose metabolic costs in terms of maintenance and signal propagation [5]. Both the costs and benefits of dendritic trees are influenced by local diameters. The diameter profiles of dendrites are known to affect how much synaptic signals attenuate [6], how well mRNA or proteins can circulate [7], how quickly action potentials backpropagate [8], and even the strength of long-term synaptic plas