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Synchrony of thalamocortical inputs maximizes cortical reliability
Hsi-Ping Wang1, Donald Spencer, Jean-Marc Fellous
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. ping@salk.edu
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|April 3, 2010
Summary
Synchronous thalamic inputs reliably drive visual cortex neurons. Optimal information flow into the cortex depends on balanced excitation and inhibition, suggesting spike synchrony is key for cortical function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- Thalamic inputs significantly influence primary visual cortex (V1) neurons.
- Despite their strong influence, thalamic synapses represent a small fraction (~5%) of total synapses on layer 4 spiny stellate cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model feedforward excitatory and inhibitory inputs to V1 layer 4 spiny stellate cells.
- To investigate the relationship between synchronous thalamic inputs and spike transmission reliability.
- To explore the role of cortical excitation-inhibition balance in gating information flow.
Main Methods:
- Utilized in vivo recordings from cat primary visual cortex.
- Developed computational models of feedforward synaptic inputs.
- Analyzed spike transmission reliability as a function of synchronous thalamic input number and timing.
Main Results:
- Spike transmission reliability increased sharply with 20-40 synchronous thalamic inputs within a 5-millisecond window.
- Peak energetic efficiency for spike transmission occurred within this optimal range of synchrony.
- The balance of background cortical excitation and inhibition modulated the optimal range of synchronous inputs.
Conclusions:
- Synchronous thalamic inputs are crucial for reliable spike transmission in V1.
- Cortical excitation-inhibition balance acts as a gatekeeper for information flow.
- Neuronal spike synchrony in small populations may represent a general principle for efficient cortical information processing.
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