# Command: volume_transmitter

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Name:

    volume_transmitter - Node used in combination with neuromodulated synaptic
      plasticity. It collects all spikes emitted by the population of neurons
      connected to the volume transmitter and transmits the signal to a user-specific
      subset of synapses.

Examples:

      /volume_transmitter Create /vol Set
      /iaf_psc_alpha Create /pre_neuron Set
      /iaf_psc_alpha Create /post_neuron Set
      /iaf_psc_alpha Create /neuromod_neuron Set
      /stdp_dopamine_synapse  << /vt vol >>  SetDefaults
      neuromod_neuron vol Connect
      pre_neuron post_neuron /stdp_dopamine_synapse Connect

Description:

      The volume transmitter is used in combination with neuromodulated
      synaptic plasticty, plasticity that depends not only on the activity
      of the pre- and the postsynaptic neuron but also on a non-local
      neuromodulatory third signal. It collects the spikes from all neurons
      connected to the volume transmitter and delivers the spikes to a
      user-specific subset of synapses.  It is assumed that the
      neuromodulatory signal is a function of the spike times of all spikes
      emitted by the population of neurons connected to the volume
      transmitter.  The neuromodulatory dynamics is calculated in the
      synapses itself. The volume transmitter interacts in a hybrid
      structure with the neuromodulated synapses. In addition to the
      delivery of the neuromodulatory spikes triggered by every pre-synaptic
      spike, the neuromodulatory spike history is delivered in discrete time
      intervals of a manifold of the minimal synaptic delay. In order to
      insure the link between the neuromodulatory synapses and the volume
      transmitter, the volume transmitter is passed as a parameter when a
      neuromodulatory synapse is defined. The implementation is based on the
      framework presented in [1].

Parameters:

      deliver_interval	- time interval given in d_min time steps, in which
      the volume signal is delivered from the volume
      transmitter to the assigned synapses

Receives:

    SpikeEvent

Remarks:

    major changes to update function after code revision in Apr 2013 (SK)

References:

      [1] Potjans W, Morrison A and Diesmann M (2010). Enabling functional
      neural circuit simulations with distributed computing of
      neuromodulated plasticity.
      Front. Comput. Neurosci. 4:141. doi:10.3389/fncom.2010.00141

Author:

    Wiebke Potjans, Abigail Morrison

SeeAlso:

- stdp_dopamine_synapse

Source:

    /opt/conda/conda-bld/nest_1510213973486/work/nest-2.14.0/models/volume_transmitter.h

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