title: Synfire chains and cortical songs: temporal modules of cortical activity.
abstract: How can neural activity propagate through cortical networks built with weak, stochastic synapses? We find precise repetitions of spontaneous patterns of synaptic inputs in neocortical neurons in vivo and in vitro. These patterns repeat after minutes, maintaining millisecond accuracy. Calcium imaging of slices reveals reactivation of sequences of cells during the occurrence of repeated intracellular synaptic patterns. The spontaneous activity drifts with time, engaging different cells. Sequences of active neurons have distinct spatial structures and are repeated in the same order over tens of seconds, revealing modular temporal dynamics. Higher order sequences are replayed with compressed timing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikegaya
authors.forename: Gloster
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aaron
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cossart
authors.forename: Dmitriy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aronov
authors.forename: Ilan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lampl
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferster
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yuste
mesh_terms: D015647:2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepine / Q000494:pharmacology; D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D001552:Benzazepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002415:Cats; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000502:physiology; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1 / Q000502:physiology; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000502:physiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D013997:Time Factors; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001552:Benzazepines; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D015647:2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepine; D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate; D002118:Calcium