An analysis of the adaptive behavior of piriform cortex pyramidal cells

Cortical pyramidal neurons respond to a depolarizing current pulse with a train of action potentials [4, 2]. These action potentials occur at a higher frequency during the initial stages of the current injection with a decreased firing rate or a cessation of firing at later stages of a sustained injection. This spike frequency adaptation can be mostly suppressed by local application of norepinephrine or acetylcholine [6, 7] which block a slow calcium-dependent potassium current.