Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026
07:33
Optogenetic Entrainment of Hippocampal Theta Oscillations in Behaving Mice
Published on: June 29, 2018
Thalamic network oscillations synchronize ontogenetic columns in the newborn rat barrel cortex
Jenq-Wei Yang1, Shuming An, Jyh-Jang Sun
1Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|May 18, 2012
Summary
Early brain development shows organized neural activity in functional cortical columns at birth. Thalamic input is crucial for generating these gamma and spindle bursts, suggesting a cortico-thalamic feedback loop.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Cortical Development
Background:
- Neocortical areas are organized into columns, the fundamental units of information processing.
- Understanding the early development of these functional units is crucial for comprehending brain maturation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the topographical organization and origin of early spontaneous and sensory-evoked neural activity patterns in the developing neocortex.
- To elucidate the role of thalamocortical interactions in establishing these early network dynamics.
Main Methods:
- In vivo voltage-sensitive dye imaging and multi-channel extracellular recordings in newborn rat barrel cortex.
- Whisker stimulation and focal electrical stimulation of the thalamic ventral posterior medial (VPM) nucleus.
- Local inactivation of the VPM and barrel cortex using lidocaine.
Main Results:
- Spontaneous and whisker stimulation-induced gamma and spindle bursts were topographically organized in functional cortical columns at birth.
- Gamma bursts synchronized cortical networks (300-400 µm) and were coherent with thalamic VPM gamma activity.
- VPM inactivation significantly reduced cortical bursts, while barrel cortex inactivation decreased thalamic gamma activity, indicating reciprocal interactions.
Conclusions:
- The thalamus plays a critical role in generating early cortical network activity patterns, including gamma and spindle bursts.
- A cortico-thalamic feedback loop modulates thalamic network activity during early development.
