title: Laminar and Columnar Structure of Sensory-Evoked Multineuronal Spike Sequences in Adult Rat Barrel Cortex In Vivo.
abstract: One of the most relevant questions regarding the function of the nervous system is how sensory information is represented in populations of cortical neurons. Despite its importance, the manner in which sensory-evoked activity propagates across neocortical layers and columns has yet not been fully characterized. In this study, we took advantage of the distinct organization of the rodent barrel cortex and recorded with multielectrode arrays simultaneously from up to 74 neurons localized in several functionally identified layers and columns of anesthetized adult Wistar rats in vivo. The flow of activity within neuronal populations was characterized by temporally precise spike sequences, which were repeatedly evoked by single-whisker stimulation. The majority of the spike sequences representing instantaneous responses were led by a subgroup of putative inhibitory neurons in the principal column at thalamo-recipient layers, thus revealing the presence of feedforward inhibition. However, later spike sequences were mainly led by infragranular excitatory neurons in neighboring columns. Although the starting point of the sequences was anatomically confined, their ending point was rather scattered, suggesting that the population responses are structurally dispersed. Our data show for the first time the simultaneous intra- and intercolumnar processing of information at high temporal resolution.
authors: Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, D-55128 Mainz, Germany.
authors: Vicente
authors: V
authors: Reyes-Puerta
authors: Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, D-55128 Mainz, Germany Present address: Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium.
authors: Jyh-Jang
authors: JJ
authors: Sun
authors: Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, D-55128 Mainz, Germany.
authors: Suam
authors: S
authors: Kim
authors: Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, D-55128 Mainz, Germany.
authors: Werner
authors: W
authors: Kilb
authors: Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, D-55128 Mainz, Germany.
authors: Heiko J
authors: HJ
authors: Luhmann
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D008839:Microelectrodes; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D055698:Touch Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014738:Vibrissae / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: barrel cortex; feedforward inhibition; multielectrode; neural assembly; spike sequences