Features of neuronal synchrony in mouse visual cortex

TY - JOUR

T1 - Features of neuronal synchrony in mouse visual cortex

AU - Nase, Gabriele

AU - Singer, Wolf

AU - Monyer, Hannah

AU - Engel, Andreas K

PY - 2003/8/1

Y1 - 2003/8/1

N2 - Synchronization of neuronal discharges has been hypothesized to play a role in defining cell assemblies representing particular constellations of stimulus features. In many systems and species, synchronization is accompanied by an oscillatory response modulation at frequencies in the gamma-band. The cellular mechanisms underlying these phenomena of synchronization and oscillatory patterning have been studied mainly in vitro due to the difficulty in designing a direct in vivo assay. With the prospect of using conditional genetic manipulations of cortical network components, our objective was to test whether the mouse would meet the criteria to provide a model system for the study of gamma-band synchrony. Multi-unit and local field potential recordings were made from the primary visual cortex of anesthetized C57BL/6J mice. Neuronal responses evoked by moving gratings, bars, and random dot patterns were analyzed with respect to neuronal synchrony and temporal patterning. Oscillations at gamma-frequencies were readily evoked with all types of stimuli used. Oscillation and synchronization strength were largest for gratings and decreased when the noise level was increased in random-dot patterns. The center peak width of cross-correlograms was smallest for bars and increased with noise, yielding a significant difference between coherent random dot patterns versus patterns with 70% noise. Field potential analysis typically revealed increases of power in the gamma-band during response periods. Our findings are compatible with a role for neuronal synchrony in mediating perceptual binding and suggest the usefulness of the mouse model for testing hypotheses concerning both the mechanisms and the functional role of temporal patterning.

AB - Synchronization of neuronal discharges has been hypothesized to play a role in defining cell assemblies representing particular constellations of stimulus features. In many systems and species, synchronization is accompanied by an oscillatory response modulation at frequencies in the gamma-band. The cellular mechanisms underlying these phenomena of synchronization and oscillatory patterning have been studied mainly in vitro due to the difficulty in designing a direct in vivo assay. With the prospect of using conditional genetic manipulations of cortical network components, our objective was to test whether the mouse would meet the criteria to provide a model system for the study of gamma-band synchrony. Multi-unit and local field potential recordings were made from the primary visual cortex of anesthetized C57BL/6J mice. Neuronal responses evoked by moving gratings, bars, and random dot patterns were analyzed with respect to neuronal synchrony and temporal patterning. Oscillations at gamma-frequencies were readily evoked with all types of stimuli used. Oscillation and synchronization strength were largest for gratings and decreased when the noise level was increased in random-dot patterns. The center peak width of cross-correlograms was smallest for bars and increased with noise, yielding a significant difference between coherent random dot patterns versus patterns with 70% noise. Field potential analysis typically revealed increases of power in the gamma-band during response periods. Our findings are compatible with a role for neuronal synchrony in mediating perceptual binding and suggest the usefulness of the mouse model for testing hypotheses concerning both the mechanisms and the functional role of temporal patterning.

KW - Action Potentials

KW - Animals

KW - Cortical Synchronization

KW - Electrophysiology

KW - Female

KW - Male

KW - Mice

KW - Mice, Inbred C57BL

KW - Neurons

KW - Photic Stimulation

KW - Visual Cortex

U2 - 10.1152/jn.00480.2002

DO - 10.1152/jn.00480.2002

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 12702711

VL - 90

SP - 1115

EP - 1123

JO - J NEUROPHYSIOL

JF - J NEUROPHYSIOL

SN - 0022-3077

IS - 2

ER -