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Slowly activating outward membrane currents generate input-output sub-harmonic cross frequency coupling in neurons
Nirvik Sinha1, C J Heckman2, Yuan Yang3
1Northwestern Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 320 E Superior Street, Morton 1-645, Chicago, IL 60611-3010, USA; Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 645 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1100, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
Journal of Theoretical Biology
|October 6, 2020
Summary
A slowly activating outward potassium current increases sub-harmonic frequency coupling in neurons, revealing a key mechanism for non-linear neural information processing and encoding.
Area of Science:
- Computational neuroscience
- Neural dynamics
- Biophysics
Background:
- Understanding neural information encoding requires investigating non-linear neuronal firing responses.
- Quantifying mechanisms of neuronal non-linearity is crucial for developing theories of neural information transfer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate and quantify the impact of slowly activating outward membrane current on neuronal output non-linearity.
- To investigate the role of the slow potassium channel (gK-slow) in generating non-linear firing patterns.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a one-compartment Hodgkin-Huxley neuron model.
- Varied the peak conductance of the slow potassium channel (gK-slow) from 0% to 200% of its normal value.
- Computed cross- and iso-frequency coupling using n:m coherence analysis.
Main Results:
- Increased gK-slow progressively enhanced sub-harmonic cross-frequency coupling (output frequencies lower than input frequencies).
- No significant change in iso-frequency coupling was observed with varying gK-slow.
- Power spectral and phase-space analysis revealed that slow channel dynamics interacting with fast membrane voltage dynamics generate sub-harmonic coupling.
Conclusions:
- The slowly activating outward potassium current plays a significant role in generating neuronal output non-linearities.
- This study provides quantitative insights into how specific membrane currents contribute to complex neural dynamics and information processing.
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