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Functional Calcium Imaging in Developing Cortical Networks

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Published on: October 22, 2011

Excitatory cortical neurons form fine-scale functional networks.

Yumiko Yoshimura¹, Jami L M Dantzker, Edward M Callaway

¹Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.

|February 25, 2005

Summary

Researchers found that specific excitatory connections create small neuron subnetworks within functional columns in the rat visual cortex. These subnetworks allow neighboring neurons to process information more independently.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cortical Circuitry
Neuronal Connectivity

Background:

Cortical neuron connections form functional columns.
The existence of finer-scale subnetworks within these columns is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate fine-scale specificity of excitatory neuron connections within functional columns in the rat visual cortex.
To determine if specific connectivity creates subnetworks of excitatory neurons.

Main Methods:

Used cross-correlation analyses of synaptic currents in adjacent layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons.
Photostimulation and simultaneous recordings were performed in rat visual cortex.

Main Results:

Connected layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons share common excitatory input from layer 4 and within layer 2/3.
Unconnected adjacent layer 2/3 neurons share minimal common excitatory input from these layers.
All layer 2/3 neurons share common excitatory input from layer 5 and inhibitory input from layers 2/3 and 4.

Conclusions:

Excitatory connections form fine-scale subnetworks within cortical columns.
Inhibitory connections and layer 5 excitatory connections integrate these subnetworks.
These subnetworks allow for more independent information processing by neighboring neurons.