Model of CA1 place field formation with CA3 lesioned

CA1 is the main source of efferents from the hippocampus, but the function of the cortical input to CA1 remains unclear. Normal CA1 place field activity is supported by this input after CA3 has been lesioned. However, inhibitory responses are observed in CA1 after the stimulation of the cortical input in slice preparations. An integrate-and-fire neuron model of the cortical-CA1 network is presented which accounts for both phenomena by using NN-methyl-DD-aspartate receptors to mediate a significant proportion of the excitatory response. The model demonstrates that a rate coding scheme is consistent with both phenomena, a remaining challenge to temporal coding schemes in the pathway.