README

This is a supplementary file for Eyal et al 2016. The files here can be used to  re generate Eyal’s et al. figures 1 and 3.
All rights are reserved to Guy Eyal, the Hebrew University. 

Abstract:
The advanced cognitive capabilities of the human brain are often attributed to our recently evolved neocortex. However, it is not known whether the basic building blocks of human neocortex, the pyramidal neurons, possess unique biophysical properties that might impact on cortical computations. Here we show that layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons from human temporal cortex (HL2/3 PCs) have a specific membrane capacitance (Cm) of ~0.5 µF/cm2, half of the commonly accepted “universal” value (~1 µF/cm2) for biological membranes. This finding was predicted by fitting in vitro voltage transients to theoretical transients then validated by direct measurement of Cm in nucleated patch experiments. Models of 3D reconstructed HL2/3 PCs demonstrated that such low Cm value significantly enhances both synaptic charge-transfer from dendrites to soma and spike propagation along the axon. This is the first demonstration that human cortical neurons have distinctive membrane properties, suggesting important implications for signal processing in human neocortex.

This directory includes:
1. Data of HL2/3 PCs:
	a. Morphologies of six HL2/3 PCs.
	b. Voltage transients from these six cells

2. Detailed Models that were fitted to match the experimental traces

3. Scripts to run the models and re create the figures in Eyal et al.

To run the scripts you must:
1. Install NEURON (http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/download)
2. Install the following python libraries:
	a. numpy 
	b. matplotlib 
	c. neuron 
3. I recommend the use of ipython to best display the figures

contact: guy.eyal@mail.huji.ac.il 