Prediction error encoding in apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons

Determine whether prediction error signals are encoded in the apical dendrites of cortical pyramidal neurons and, if so, characterize the conditions and mechanisms under which such dendritic error computation occurs.

Background

Apical dendrites receive rich top-down input and support nonlinear events such as dendritic spikes and plateau potentials, making them plausible substrates for integrating predictions and bottom-up signals.

While several dendritic models propose apical compartments as loci of error computation, direct experimental evidence demonstrating prediction error encoding in apical dendrites is lacking, leaving a key mechanistic question unresolved.