Extrasynaptic Interactions Between Neurons @ WBE Workshop 2023

In this talk summary, Barry Bentley, a bioengineering researcher at Cardiff Metropolitan University, discusses the importance of extrasynaptic interactions between neurons. He argues that these interactions, which have often been overlooked, are actually more important than previously thought, especially when considering whole brain emulation. Bentley presents findings from whole animal functional neural imaging in C. elegans, revealing that the functional correlation between neurons is not well correlated with synaptic connectivity. Only about 1% of cases where one neuron’s activity is correlated with another’s are connected by synapses, suggesting the presence of other mechanisms, such as extrasynaptic interactions. Molecular studies in C. elegans have also shown that the majority of receptors or neurotransmitters are not postsynaptic to cells that produce them. Bentley concludes that there is evidence suggesting that non-synaptic interactions play a significant role and advocates for raising awareness of this concept in future research and discussions.