Dendrite Control Theory: A Unifying Framework Bridging Neuronal Morphology And Dendritic Voltage Behavior

Structural symmetry in dendritic trees determines whether control states are easy or hard to access, and peripheral-terminal inputs can still govern whole-dendrite and soma voltage states.

• Why it matters: The work addresses a gap between control theory and dendritic computation by linking morphology and synaptic organization to resilience and energy cost.
• What they did: Diverse dendritic trees are modeled as connected network nodes, showing that peripheral terminal-only control inputs are mathematically sufficient for dendritic and somatic voltage states. Limiting input dimensionality increases voltage fluctuations and metabolic costs.
• The result: The results reveal trade-offs among wiring cost, functional flexibility, robustness, and energy efficiency, suggesting interneurons may be more resilient while excitatory neurons may have superior controllability.

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