Synaptically activated calcium rises in amygdalar pyramidal neurons

P. Sah, J.M. Power, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia

Activation of metabotropic receptors on neurons leads to calcium rises in neurons due to release from intracellular calcium stores. These rises are often organised as waves of calcium that propagate from the dendrites towards the soma and invade the nucleus. These waves have been previoulsy described in pyramidal neurons from the hippocampus and cortex. In this talk I will describe rises in calcium in pyramidal neurons in the the basolateral amygdala in response to action potentials and synaptic stimulation. I will describe propagation of these calcium rises as calcium waves and the role that dendritic spines play in initiating and sequestering calcium rises in amygdalar neurons.