title: Threshold behavior in the initiation of hippocampal population bursts.
abstract: Hippocampal population discharges such as sharp waves, epileptiform firing, and GDPs recur at long and variable intervals. The mechanisms for their precise timing are not well understood. Here, we show that population bursts in the disinhibited CA3 region are initiated at a threshold level of population firing after recovery from a previous event. Each population discharge follows an active buildup period when synaptic traffic and cell firing increase to threshold levels. Single-cell firing can advance burst onset by increasing population firing to suprathreshold values. Population synchrony is suppressed when threshold frequencies cannot be reached due to reduced cellular excitability or synaptic efficacy. Reducing synaptic strength reveals partially synchronous population bursts that are curtailed by GABA(B)-mediated conductances. Excitatory glutamatergic transmission and delayed GABA(B)-mediated signals have opposing feedback effects on CA3 cell firing and so determine threshold behavior for population synchrony.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U739, CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 75013, France. liset.m.prida@hrc.es
authors.forename: Liset Menendez
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: de la Prida
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huberfeld
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miles
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004056:Differential Threshold; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000502:physiology; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B / Q000502:physiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018080:Receptors, GABA-B