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Could electrical coupling contribute to the formation of cell assemblies?
Roger D Traub1, Miles A Whittington2, Nikolaus Maier3
1AI Foundations, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA.
Reviews in the Neurosciences
|September 20, 2019
Summary
Electrical coupling, crucial for central pattern generators (CPGs), may also aid in forming cell assemblies in adult brains. This neuronal network mechanism involves gap junctions, influencing both motor behavior and representations.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- Cell assemblies and central pattern generators (CPGs) are neuronal networks with distinct functional outputs: representations and motor behaviors, respectively.
- Electrical coupling via gap junctions is vital for CPG development and function, and also for principal cell networks in the hippocampus and neocortex.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose that electrical coupling, alongside chemical synapses, contributes to the formation of cell assemblies in adult animals.
Main Methods:
- This study is primarily theoretical, drawing on existing knowledge of neuronal network function.
- It synthesizes findings on electrical coupling in CPGs and other brain networks.
Main Results:
- Electrical coupling is a fundamental mechanism in neuronal network development and operation.
- The principles governing CPGs may extend to cell assembly formation.
Conclusions:
- Electrical coupling is hypothesized to play a significant role in the formation of certain cell assemblies in adult brains.
- This mechanism complements the known role of chemical synapses in network development.
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