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Space coding by gamma oscillations in the barn owl optic tectum.

Devarajan Sridharan1, Kwabena Boahen, Eric I Knudsen

  • 1Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. dsridhar@stanford.edu

Journal of Neurophysiology
|February 18, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Sensory stimuli evoke gamma oscillations in the optic tectum (OT). These brain rhythms show distinct properties in superficial and deep layers, aiding in spatial and contrast processing for attention.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sensory Processing
  • Auditory and Visual Systems

Background:

  • Gamma-band oscillations (25-140 Hz) in local field potentials (LFPs) are linked to sensory stimuli and attention in mammals.
  • The optic tectum (OT) is a midbrain center crucial for processing multimodal sensory information, controlling gaze, and mediating attention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the characteristics of gamma oscillations in the superficial and deep layers of the owl's optic tectum.
  • To determine how these gamma oscillations represent spatial information and stimulus contrast.
  • To explore the relationship between neuronal spiking activity and gamma oscillations in different OT layers.

Main Methods:

  • Recording local field potentials (LFPs) and neuronal spikes in the superficial and deep layers of the owl's optic tectum.

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  • Presenting spatially localized visual and auditory stimuli with varying contrast levels.
  • Analyzing gamma oscillation power, frequency bands, spatial tuning, and phase-locking with neuronal spikes.

    • Main Results:

    • Both superficial and deep OT layers exhibited robust gamma oscillations in response to stimuli, with distinct spectral properties.
    • Gamma power was sharply tuned to stimulus location in both layers, reflecting topographic spatial representation.
    • Superficial layers showed low-gamma dominance (25-90 Hz) that scaled with visual contrast, while deep layers displayed broader gamma activity (25-140 Hz) peaking at lower contrasts.
    • Axonal spikes in superficial layers closely mirrored gamma oscillations, whereas somatic spikes in deep layers synchronized with gamma, suggesting distinct coding mechanisms.

    Conclusions:

    • Gamma oscillations in the optic tectum play a significant role in processing spatial information from sensory stimuli.
    • Distinct gamma oscillation properties in superficial and deep layers suggest specialized roles in visual and multimodal sensory integration.
    • Gamma-synchronized neuronal discharges in deep OT layers may provide a high-resolution temporal code for salient stimulus localization.