title: Functional architecture and spike timing properties of corticofugal projections from rat ventral temporal cortex.
abstract: Sensory association and parahippocampal cortex in the ventral temporal lobe plays an important role in sensory object recognition and control of top-down attention. Although layer V neurons located in high-order cortical structures project to multiple cortical and subcortical regions, the architecture and functional organization of this large axonal network are poorly understood. Using a large in vitro slice preparation, we examined the functional organization and spike timing properties of the descending layer V axonal network. We found that most, if not all, layer V neurons in this region can form multiple axonal pathways that project to many brain structures, both proximal and remote. The conduction velocities of different axonal pathways are highly diverse and can vary up to more than threefold. Nevertheless for those axonal projections on the ipsilateral side, the speeds of axonal conduction appear to be tuned to their length. As such, spike delivery becomes nearly isochronic along these pathways regardless of projection distance. In contrast, axons projecting to the contralateral hemisphere are significantly slower and do not participate in this lateralized isochronicity. These structural and functional features of layer V network from the ventral temporal lobe may play an important role in top-down control of sensory cue processing and attention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurosciences and, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. tgchomia@ucalgary.ca
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chomiak
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D001710:Biotin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003911:Dextrans / Q000378:metabolism; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D020534:Parahippocampal Gyrus / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003911:Dextrans; C076397:biotinylated dextran amine; D001710:Biotin