Maximizing Sensory Dynamic Range by Tuning the Cortical State to Criticality

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Computational Neuroscience
• Systems Neuroscience

Background:

• Neuronal interactions significantly alter brain activity states.
• The impact of these state transitions on neural information processing remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between cortical states and somatosensory dynamic range.
• To determine how neural population dynamics influence sensory information processing.

Main Methods:

• Recorded population spiking activity in rat somatosensory cortex using microelectrode arrays.
• Employed computational modeling to simulate cortical states and their effects.
• Manipulated inhibitory synaptic interactions to tune cortical states.

Main Results:

• Observed a continuum of cortical states, from weakly correlated to strongly correlated activity.
• Found that somatosensory dynamic range was maximized at criticality, a state with scale-free dynamics and moderate correlations.
• Modified existing theories to include activity-dependent depression to accurately model experimental findings.

Conclusions:

• In vivo sensory dynamic range is optimized near criticality.
• Activity-dependent depression plays a critical, previously unrecognized role in maximizing sensory dynamic range at criticality.