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Published on: August 2, 2017
Slow-wave oscillations in a corticothalamic model of sleep and wake
X Zhao1, J W Kim2, P A Robinson1
1School of Physics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia; Center of Research Excellence, Neurosleep, 431 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe, New South Wales 2037, Australia; Center for Integrative Brain Function, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia; Cooperative Research Center for Alertness, Safety, and Productivity, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
Abstract:
A physiologically-based corticothalamic neural field model is used to study slow wave oscillations including cortical UP and DOWN states in deep sleep by extending it to incorporate bursting dynamics of neurons in the thalamic reticular nucleus. The interplay of local bursting dynamics and network interactions produces the cortical UP and DOWN states of slow wave sleep while preserving previously verified model predictions in the wake state. Results show that EEG spectral features in wake and sleep are reproduced. The bursting is subthreshold but acts to intensify the amplitude of oscillations in slow wave sleep with deep UP/DOWN oscillations on the cortex emerging naturally. Furthermore, there is a continuous cycle between the two regimes, rather than a flip-flop between discrete states.
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