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An inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP) is a kind of synaptic potential that makes a postsynaptic neuron less likely to generate an action potential. [1] The opposite of an inhibitory postsynaptic potential is an excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP), which is a synaptic potential that makes a postsynaptic neuron more likely to generate an action potential.
The opposite can happen when the opening of ion channels results in the flow of negatively charged ions, like chloride (Cl −), into the cell, or positively charged ions, like potassium (K +), to flow out of the cell, creating inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSP) that hyperpolarize the cell membrane, decreasing the likelihood of an action ...
This means a single EPSP/IPSP is typically not enough to trigger an action potential. The two ways that synaptic potentials can add up to potentially form an action potential are spatial summation and temporal summation. [5]
The goal of any synapse is to produce either an excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) or an inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP), which generate or repress the expression, respectively, of an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron.
The Golgi tendon reflex [1] (also called inverse stretch reflex, autogenic inhibition, [2] tendon reflex [3]) is an inhibitory effect on the muscle resulting from the muscle tension stimulating Golgi tendon organs (GTO) of the muscle, and hence it is self-induced.
If an IPSP overlaps with an EPSP, the IPSP can in many cases prevent the neuron from firing an action potential. In this way, the output of a neuron may depend on the input of many different neurons, each of which may have a different degree of influence, depending on the strength and type of synapse with that neuron.
The result seen in the postsynaptic pyramidal neuron (cell 4) is a delayed EPSP-IPSP-EPSP sequence (events A, B, and C), traveling through three, four, and five synapses respectively. Molnár et al. propose [2] that polysynaptic pathways similar to this one can be activated by a single action potential in a cortical pyramidal cell.
Graph displaying an EPSP, an IPSP, and the summation of an EPSP and an IPSP. Graded membrane potentials are particularly important in neurons, where they are produced by synapses—a temporary change in membrane potential produced by activation of a synapse by a single graded or action potential is called a postsynaptic potential.