Matched mouse slice recordings do not resolve a pooled strength increase for reciprocal connections

We compared resting postsynaptic potential magnitude in reciprocal and one-way connections in Allen Synaptic Physiology r2.1 slice data. We matched recording, synapse sign, and ordered cell class, Cre label, and layer. We adjusted mean log amplitude differences for mean log distance differences. The primary mouse sample had 342 directed connections in 116 matched groups from 93 inferred animals. The reciprocal-to-one-way amplitude ratio was 1.13, with a 95% animal bootstrap interval of 0.92 to 1.40. A broader match that omitted Cre and layer gave 1.25, with an interval of 1.03 to 1.51. Thus, the pooled result depends on the cell-label controls. The primary human sample had only seven groups from six inferred donors. Its estimate changed strongly after distance adjustment and does not establish transfer across species. This report supplies a matched comparison and derived evidence. It does not show equal strengths or measure the effect of reciprocal wiring on brain activity.

reciprocal connections · synaptic strength · Allen Institute · matched circuits · null result