title: Cortical dynamics by layers.
abstract: Neocortical microcircuits of primary sensory cortices play prominent roles in processing peripheral input. The same cortical microcircuits are also spontaneously active, which profoundly influences sensory processing. In this issue of Neuron, Sakata and Harris compare spontaneous and sensory-evoked activity in rat primary auditory cortex, finding interesting similarities and important differences.
authors.affiliation: Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crochet
authors.forename: Carl C H
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Petersen
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors