A mechanism for generation of long-range synchronous fast oscillations in the cortex

Synchronous neuronal oscillations in the 30-70 Hz range, known as gamma oscillations, occur in the cortex of many species. This synchronization can occur over large distances, and in some cases over multiple cortical areas and in both hemispheres; it has been proposed to underlie the binding of several features into a single perceptual entity. The mechanism by which coherent oscillations are generated remains unclear, because they often show zero or near-zero phase lags over long distances, whereas much greater phase lags would be expected from the slow speed of axonal conduction. We have previously shown that interneuron networks alone can generate gamma oscillations; here we propose a simple model to explain how an interconnected chain of such networks can generate coherent oscillations. The model incorporates known properties of excitatory pyramidal cells and inhibitory interneurons; it predicts that when excitation of interneurons reaches a level sufficient to induce pairs of spikes in rapid succession (spike doublets), the network will generate gamma oscillations that are synchronized on a millisecond time-scale from one end of the chain to the other. We show that in rat hippocampal slices interneurons do indeed fire spike doublets under conditions in which gamma oscillations are synchronized over several millimetres, whereas they fire single spikes under other conditions. Thus, known properties of neurons and local synaptic circuits can account for tightly synchronized oscillations in large neuronal ensembles.