The high-conductance state of neocortical neurons in vivo

Intracellular recordings in vivo have shown that neocortical neurons are subjected to an intense synaptic bombardment in intact networks and are in a 'high-conductance' state. In vitro studies have shed light on the complex interplay between the active properties of dendrites and how they convey discrete synaptic inputs to the soma. Computational models have attempted to tie these results together and predicted that high-conductance states profoundly alter the integrative properties of cortical neurons, providing them with a number of computational advantages. Here, we summarize results from these different approaches, with the aim of understanding the integrative properties of neocortical neurons in the intact brain.