Neurophysiology: Hodgkin and Huxley model — still standing? (Reply)

Abstract

McCormick et al.1 question whether the rapid onset and highly variable thresholds of action potentials2 are genuine features of cortical action-potential generators — that is, whether they reflect the voltage-dependence of the underlying sodium currents. Instead, they consider these features to be epiphenomena, reflecting lateral currents from a remote initiation site, and, contrary to direct evidence3, they assume that sodium currents show canonical kinetics.