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

Electrical Synapses01:28

Electrical Synapses

Electrical synapses found in all nervous systems play important and unique roles. In these synapses, the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes are very close together (3.5 nm) and are actually physically connected by channel proteins forming gap junctions.
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...
Neuronal Communication01:28

Neuronal Communication

Neurons, the fundamental units of the brain and nervous system, communicate through complex electrochemical signals that underpin all cognitive and bodily functions. This communication is primarily facilitated by a process involving the generation and propagation of an action potential along the axon of the neuron. When the internal electrical charge of a neuron surpasses a certain threshold, an action potential is triggered. This rapid change in voltage travels swiftly along the axon to the...
Neural Circuits01:25

Neural Circuits

Neural circuits and neuronal pools are two of the main structures found in the nervous system. Neural circuits are networks of neurons that work together to carry out a specific task or process. They consist of interconnected neurons and glial cells, which provide structural and metabolic support.
Neuronal pools are collections of nerve cells with similar functions and interact through chemical and electrical signals. These pools include both interneurons (the central neural circuit nodes that...
Integration of Synaptic Events01:28

Integration of Synaptic Events

Synaptic integration mainly includes the summation of graded potentials. Graded potentials, regardless of their type, cause subtle alterations in membrane voltage, resulting in either depolarization or hyperpolarization. These incremental changes, when combined or summed, can propel the neuron toward its threshold. Consider, for example, a membrane experiencing a +15 mV shift, causing it to depolarize from -70 mV to -55 mV. In this scenario, graded potentials govern the membrane's ability to...
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation01:19

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

A postsynaptic neuron usually receives numerous impulses from several other presynaptic neurons. The axon hillock of the postsynaptic neuron integrates all these signals and determines the likelihood of firing an action potential.
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential.
Propagation of Action Potentials01:23

Propagation of Action Potentials

The propagation of an action potential refers to the process by which a nerve impulse, or "action potential," travels along a neuron.
Neurons (nerve cells) have a resting membrane potential, with a slightly negative charge inside compared to outside. This is maintained by ion channels, such as sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) channels, which control the flow of ions. When a stimulus, like a touch or a signal from another neuron, triggers the neuron, sodium channels open, allowing sodium ions to...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Mechanistic simulation identifies predictive dose-dependent biomarkers of propofol anesthesia.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Mechanistic corticostriatal circuit model predicts learning-dependent fMRI dynamics and individual reward bias in humans.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Anterior cingulate neurons display subregion-specific interaction with frontal eye fields revealed by anti-/orthodromic stimulation and resting-state imaging.

Journal of neurophysiology·2026
Same author

Categorization is 'baked' into the brain.

Nature reviews. Neuroscience·2026
Same author

Similar destabilization of neural dynamics under different general anesthetics.

Cell reports·2026
Same author

Ephaptic coupling and power fluctuations in depression.

Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Induction of an Isoelectric Brain State to Investigate the Impact of Endogenous Synaptic Activity on Neuronal Excitability In Vivo
10:19

Induction of an Isoelectric Brain State to Investigate the Impact of Endogenous Synaptic Activity on Neuronal Excitability In Vivo

Published on: March 31, 2016

Ephaptic coupling can explain variability in neural activity.

Dimitris A Pinotsis1, Earl K Miller2

  • 1Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, City St George's-University of London, Northampton Square, London EC1V 0HB, United Kingdom.

Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|July 7, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cortical oscillatory power fluctuations are influenced by mesoscale electric fields, not just neural activity. This ephaptic coupling suggests a circular causality shaping brain function and memory formation.

Keywords:
ephaptic couplingoscillationssynergeticsworking memory

More Related Videos

Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond
08:08

Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond

Published on: June 24, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Induction of an Isoelectric Brain State to Investigate the Impact of Endogenous Synaptic Activity on Neuronal Excitability In Vivo
10:19

Induction of an Isoelectric Brain State to Investigate the Impact of Endogenous Synaptic Activity on Neuronal Excitability In Vivo

Published on: March 31, 2016

Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond
08:08

Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond

Published on: June 24, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Neuroscience
  • Electrophysiology

Background:

  • Cortical oscillatory power exhibits variability linked to cognitive function and neurological disorders.
  • This variability has been attributed to neuromodulation, uncertainty, and cortical excitability changes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of mesoscale electric fields in cortical oscillatory power fluctuations.
  • To explore the concept of ephaptic influences as a driver of cross-trial variability in neural activity.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of Local Field Potential (LFP) data from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during a spatial delay saccade task.
  • Development of a computational model to simulate electric fields generated by neural activity.
  • Quantification of ephaptic coupling strength and its correlation with oscillatory power.

Main Results:

  • Mesoscale electric fields significantly influence cortical oscillatory power.
  • Field-to-neuron interactions (ephaptic coupling) were found to be stronger than neuron-to-field interactions.
  • Ephaptic coupling strength correlated with trial-by-trial changes in oscillatory power.

Conclusions:

  • Fluctuations in mesoscale electric fields contribute to the variability of cortical oscillatory power.
  • A circular causality exists where neural activity and electric fields mutually influence each other.
  • Mesoscale ephaptic effects may play a role in the formation of memory ensembles, supporting the cytoelectric coupling hypothesis.