title: Theta-gamma coupling in the entorhinal-hippocampal system.
abstract: For decades, theta rhythms (∼5-10Hz) have been thought to play a critical role in memory processing in the entorhinal-hippocampal network. However, recent evidence suggests that successful memory performance also requires coupling of ∼30-100Hz gamma rhythms to particular phases of the theta cycle. Recent insights imply ways in which theta-gamma coupling may facilitate transfer of information throughout the entorhinal-hippocampal network. Activating gamma-modulated cell assemblies at a particular theta phase may allow the network to produce a more powerful output by ensuring that distributed cells fire closely in time. I hypothesize that such a mechanism would serve to facilitate either memory encoding or memory retrieval, depending on which type of gamma rhythms are recruited.
authors.affiliation: Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station Stop C7000, Austin, TX 78712, USA. Electronic address: colgin@mail.clm.utexas.edu.
authors.forename: Laura Lee
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Colgin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004569:Electroencephalography; D018728:Entorhinal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D065818:Gamma Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D013826:Theta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*