Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Action Potential01:14

Action Potential

11.7K
Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...
11.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Perinatal mAChR-mediated activation of cortical subplate neurons elicits network activity driving basket cell differentiation.

Frontiers in cellular neuroscience·2026
Same author

Spiking neural networks provide accurate and time-efficient models for whisker stimulus classification of the awake mouse.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2026
Same author

Cortical Single-Cell Primers of Abnormal Brain Activity in Parkinson's Disease.

Research (Washington, D.C.)·2025
Same author

Development of spontaneous and sensory evoked network activity in rodent cerebral cortex <i>in vivo</i>.

Frontiers in cellular neuroscience·2025
Same author

GABAergic integration of transient and persistent neurons in the developing mouse somatosensory cortex.

Frontiers in cellular neuroscience·2025
Same author

Spontaneous mesoscale calcium dynamics reflect the development of the modular functional architecture of the mouse cerebral cortex.

NeuroImage·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 2, 2026

Author Spotlight: Deciphering Neural Circuit Formation from Two-Photon Microscopy and Single Neuron Imaging
06:18

Author Spotlight: Deciphering Neural Circuit Formation from Two-Photon Microscopy and Single Neuron Imaging

Published on: November 21, 2023

1.4K

Neuronal activity patterns in the developing barrel cortex.

Heiko J Luhmann1, Rustem Khazipov2

  • 1Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, D-55128 Mainz, Germany.

Neuroscience
|May 23, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Early neuronal activity, including spindle bursts and early gamma oscillations (EGOs), is crucial for developing the barrel cortex architecture and suppressing cell death in newborns. This activity shapes cortical columns and network formation.

Keywords:
GABAdevelopmentreviewrodentssensory-evoked activityspontaneous activity

More Related Videos

Functional Calcium Imaging in Developing Cortical Networks
16:33

Functional Calcium Imaging in Developing Cortical Networks

Published on: October 22, 2011

39.7K
Multi-electrode Array Recordings of Neuronal Avalanches in Organotypic Cultures
16:01

Multi-electrode Array Recordings of Neuronal Avalanches in Organotypic Cultures

Published on: August 1, 2011

27.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 2, 2026

Author Spotlight: Deciphering Neural Circuit Formation from Two-Photon Microscopy and Single Neuron Imaging
06:18

Author Spotlight: Deciphering Neural Circuit Formation from Two-Photon Microscopy and Single Neuron Imaging

Published on: November 21, 2023

1.4K
Functional Calcium Imaging in Developing Cortical Networks
16:33

Functional Calcium Imaging in Developing Cortical Networks

Published on: October 22, 2011

39.7K
Multi-electrode Array Recordings of Neuronal Avalanches in Organotypic Cultures
16:01

Multi-electrode Array Recordings of Neuronal Avalanches in Organotypic Cultures

Published on: August 1, 2011

27.0K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • The developing barrel cortex exhibits diverse neuronal activity patterns, similar to other sensory neocortical areas and observed in preterm human infants.
  • Early cortical development involves distinct stages, from sparse, asynchronous firing to correlated neuronal firing mediated by electrical and chemical synapses.
  • Specific activity patterns like synchronous plateau assemblies, delta waves, spindle bursts, and early gamma oscillations (EGOs) characterize the second developmental stage.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of early neuronal activity patterns, specifically spindle bursts and EGOs, in the developing barrel cortex.
  • To understand how these activity patterns influence cortical architecture, including the formation of cortical columns.
  • To explore the impact of early neuronal activity on programmed cell death (apoptosis) in the developing barrel cortex.

Main Methods:

  • Observation and analysis of spontaneous and stimulus-elicited neuronal activity in newborn rodent barrel cortex.
  • Investigation of the synchronization of activity within barrel-related columnar networks.
  • Experimental manipulation of early cortical activity to assess its effects on cortical development and cell death.

Main Results:

  • Spindle bursts and EGOs spontaneously occur or are elicited by sensory stimulation in newborn rodents, synchronizing activity in a topographically organized barrel network.
  • Interference with this early activity disrupts the development of cortical architecture, indicating a role in cortical column formation.
  • Early neuronal activity, particularly spindle bursts and EGOs, regulates programmed cell death, suggesting a role in suppressing apoptosis.

Conclusions:

  • Spindle bursts and EGOs are critical physiological activity patterns in the developing barrel cortex, essential for normal cortical architecture formation.
  • These activity patterns play a significant role in regulating apoptosis during early cortical development.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms by which these activity patterns influence synapse formation, microcircuit development, and network organization.