Synchronous Membrane Potential Fluctuations in Neurons of the Cat Visual Cortex
NeuronPublished 1 February 1999Open access
Ilan Lampl, Iva Reichova, David Ferster
Citations449
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score6.75
SNIP2.95
Generate an AI Snapshot to get a quick, structured summary of this paper.
Study Snapshot
ObjectiveStudy objective
MethodsResearch methodology
PopulationPopulation studied
Sample sizeSample sizes
OutcomesStudy outcomes here
ResultsStudy results comes here
LimitationsResearch study limitations comes here
A concise AI-generated summary of the paper will appear here once you click Generate AI Snapshot.
TL;DR
Recording intracellularly from pairs of neurons less than 500 microm distant from one another in V1 of anesthetized cats revealed significant correlations between the cells in each pair, suggesting local, rather than global, synchrony.
Abstract
We have recorded intracellularly from pairs of neurons less than 500 microm distant from one another in V1 of anesthetized cats. Cross-correlation of spontaneous fluctuations in membrane potential revealed significant correlations between the cells in each pair. This synchronization was not dependent on the occurrence of action potentials, indicating that it was not caused by mutual interconnections. The cells were synchronized continuously rather than for brief epochs. Much weaker correlations were found between the EEG and intracellular potentials, suggesting local, rather than global, synchrony. The highest correlation occurred among cells with similar connectivity from the LGN and similar receptive fields. During visual stimulation, correlations increased when both cells responded to the stimulus and decreased when neither cell responded.
Keywords
Neuroscience
NatureOscillatory responses in cat visual cortex exhibit inter-columnar synchronization which reflects global stimulus properties
4,261 Citations1989Charles M. Gray, Peter König +2 more
It is demonstrated here that neurons in spatially separate columns can synchronize their oscillatory responses, which has, on average, no phase difference, depends on the spatial separation and the orientation preference of the cells and is influenced by global stimulus properties.
Annual Review of NeuroscienceVisual Feature Integration and the Temporal Correlation Hypothesis
3,160 Citations1995Wolf Singer, Charles M. Gray
The mammalian visual system is endowed with a nearly infinite capacity for the recognition of patterns and objects, but to have acquired this capability the visual system must have solved what is a fundamentally combinatorial prob lem.
Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesStimulus-specific neuronal oscillations in orientation columns of cat visual cortex.
2,503 Citations1989Charles M. Gray, W. Singer
The results demonstrate that local neuronal populations in the visual cortex engage in stimulus-specific synchronous oscillations resulting from an intracortical mechanism, and may provide a general mechanism by which activity patterns in spatially separate regions of the cortex are temporally coordinated.
ScienceReliability of Spike Timing in Neocortical Neurons
2,002 Citations1995Zachary F. Mainen, Terrence J. Sejnowski
Data suggest a low intrinsic noise level in spike generation, which could allow cortical neurons to accurately transform synaptic input into spike sequences, supporting a possible role for spike timing in the processing of cortical information by the neocortex.
ScienceDynamics of Ongoing Activity: Explanation of the Large Variability in Evoked Cortical Responses
1,747 Citations1996Amos Arieli, A. Sterkin +2 more
It is shown that evoked responses in single trials could be predicted by linear summation of the deterministic response and the preceding ongoing activity, presumably reflecting the instantaneous state of cortical networks.
PubMedA novel slow (< 1 Hz) oscillation of neocortical neurons in vivo: depolarizing and hyperpolarizing components.
1,703 Citations1993Mircea Steriade, Ángel Núñez +1 more
A novel slow oscillation in intracellular recordings from cortical association areas 5 and 7, motor areas 4 and 6, and visual areas 17 and 18 of cats under various anesthetics is described and synchronous inhibitory periods in both neurons are demonstrated.
Journal of NeuroscienceA novel slow (< 1 Hz) oscillation of neocortical neurons in vivo: depolarizing and hyperpolarizing components
1,628 Citations1993Mircea Steriade, A Nunez +1 more
NatureCorrelated neuronal discharge rate and its implications for psychophysical performance
1,301 Citations1994Ehud Zohary, Michael N. Shadlen +1 more
To assess correlation within a pool, responses of pairs of neurons were recorded simultaneously during repeated stimulus presentations and it is reported that the observed covariation in spike count was relatively weak, the correlation coefficient averaging 0.12.
Journal of NeuroscienceColumnar specificity of intrinsic horizontal and corticocortical connections in cat visual cortex
1,185 Citations1989CD Gilbert, TN Wiesel
The extent of the horizontal connections, which allows single cells to integrate information over larger parts of the visual field than that covered by their receptive fields, and the functional specificity of the connections, suggests possible roles for these connections in visual processing.
ScienceInterhemispheric Synchronization of Oscillatory Neuronal Responses in Cat Visual Cortex
938 Citations1991Andreas K. Engel, Peter König +2 more
Response synchronization has now been shown to occur also between neurons in area 17 of the right and left cerebral hemispheres, and this synchronization is mediated by corticocortical connections, compatible with the hypothesis that temporal synchrony of neuronal discharges serves to bind features within and between the visual hemifields.
ScienceSpike Synchronization and Rate Modulation Differentially Involved in Motor Cortical Function
932 Citations1997Alexa Riehle, Sonja Grün +2 more
Findings indicate that internally generated synchronization of individual spike discharges may subserve the cortical organization of cognitive motor processes.
Journal of NeuroscienceRelationships between horizontal interactions and functional architecture in cat striate cortex as revealed by cross-correlation analysis
848 Citations1986DY Ts'o, CD Gilbert +1 more
Cross-correlation analysis in cat striate cortex found a tendency for facilitatory interactions between cells sharing the same eye preference and a high degree of interconnectivity between and within the columns.
NatureDynamics of neuronal interactions in monkey cortex in relation to behavioural events
825 Citations1995Eilon Vaadia, Iris Haalman +5 more
It is shown that correlated firing between single neurons, recorded simultaneously in the frontal cortex of monkeys performing a behavioural task, evolves within a fraction of a second, and in systematic relation to behavioural events, support the notion that neurons can associate rapidly into a functional group in order to perform a computational task, at the same time becoming dissociated from concurrently activated competing groups.
Journal of NeuroscienceThe origins of two-state spontaneous membrane potential fluctuations of neostriatal spiny neurons
792 Citations1996Charles J. Wilson, Yasuo Kawaguchi
The results indicate that the event underlying the Up state in neostriatal spiny neurons is a maintained barrage of synaptic excitation, but that the membrane potential achieved during the Upstate in nestriatal Spiny cells is determined by dendritic potassium channels that clamp the membrane Potential at a level determined by their voltage sensitivity.
The Journal of Comparative NeurologyThe projections of cells in different layers of the cat's visual cortex
728 Citations1975Charles D. Gilbert, James P. Kelly
The projection of cells in different layers of several cortical visual areas in the cat were studied using the method of retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase, indicating a remarkable specificity in the projections of the cortical layers.
Journal of NeuroscienceCellular basis of EEG slow rhythms: a study of dynamic corticothalamic relationships
702 Citations1995Diego Contreras, Mircea Steriade
During low-frequency oscillatory states, characteristic of slow-wave sleep, neocortical and thalamic neurons display phase relations that are restricted to narrow time windows, and that synchronization results from a generalized inhibitory phenomenon.
ScienceIntrinsic Oscillations of Neocortex Generated by Layer 5 Pyramidal Neurons
694 Citations1991Laurie R. Silva, Yael Amitai +1 more
Synaptic networks of intrinsically rhythmic neurons in layer 5 may generate or promote certain synchronized oscillations of the neocortex.
The Journal of PhysiologyLaminar differences in receptive field properties of cells in cat primary visual cortex
680 Citations1977Charles D. Gilbert
Cells in area 17 of the cat visual cortex were studied with a view towards correlating receptive field properties with layering to determine accurately the layer in which it was found.
NatureVisual input evokes transient and strong shunting inhibition in visual cortical neurons
676 Citations1998Lyle J. Borg-Graham, Cyril Monier +1 more
It is proposed that nonlinear shunting inhibition may act during the initial stage of visual cortical processing, setting the balance between opponent ‘On’ and ‘Off’ responses in different locations of the visual receptive field.
Vision ResearchClassifying simple and complex cells on the basis of response modulation
627 Citations1991Bernt C. Skottun, Russell L. De Valois +4 more
Evidence is reviewed which indicates that this simple, objective classification criterion based on the form of the response to drifting sinusoidal gratings divides neurons of the striate cortex in both cats and monkeys into two groups that correspond closely to the classically-described simple and complex classes.
NaturePrimary cortical representation of sounds by the coordination of action-potential timing
570 Citations1996R. Christopher deCharms, Michael M. Merzenich
Cortical population coding based on relative spike timing can systematically signal stimulus features, it is topographically mapped, and it follows the stimulus time course even where mean firing rate does not.
ScienceSensorimotor Encoding by Synchronous Neural Ensemble Activity at Multiple Levels of the Somatosensory System
552 Citations1995Miguel A. L. Nicolelis, Luiz Antonio Baccalá +2 more
Multilevel synchronous activity in the rat trigeminal somatosensory system may encode not only sensory information but also the onset and temporal domain of tactile exploratory movements.
Journal of NeurophysiologyOscillatory activity in sensorimotor cortex of awake monkeys: synchronization of local field potentials and relation to behavior
548 Citations1996Venkatesh N. Murthy, E. E. Fetz
It is indicated that episodes of 20- to 40-Hz oscillations occur often and become synchronized over a large cortical area during exploratory forelimb movements and may represent a neural correlate of attention during demanding sensorimotor behaviors.
The Journal of PhysiologyForm, function and intracortical projections of spiny neurones in the striate visual cortex of the cat.
537 Citations1984Kevan A Martin, D. Whitteridge
The neuronal circuitry and structure‐function relationships of single neurones in the striate visual cortex of the cat using a combination of electrophysiological and anatomical techniques were studied and two striking correlations were found between dendritic morphology and receptive field type.
NaturePrecisely correlated firing in cells of the lateral geniculate nucleus
527 Citations1996José‐Manuel Alonso, W. Martin Usrey +1 more
It is proposed that precisely correlated firing within a group of geniculate neurons could serve to reinforce the thalamic input to cortical simple cells.
Nature NeuroscienceInput synchrony and the irregular firing of cortical neurons
479 Citations1998Charles F. Stevens, Anthony M. Zador
It is reported that independent inputs cannot account for this high variability, but this variability can be explained by a simple alternative model of the synaptic drive in which inputs arrive synchronously.
Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesSynchronization of oscillatory neuronal responses between striate and extrastriate visual cortical areas of the cat.
472 Citations1991Andreas K. Engel, Andreas K. Kreiter +2 more
It is demonstrated that unit responses recorded from the posteromedial lateral suprasylvian area, a visual association area specialized for the analysis of motion, also exhibit an oscillatory temporal structure, supporting the hypothesis that synchronous neuronal oscillations may serve to establish relationships between features processed in different areas of visual cortex.
Journal of NeurophysiologyImpact of Spontaneous Synaptic Activity on the Resting Properties of Cat Neocortical Pyramidal Neurons In Vivo
456 Citations1998Denis Paré, Éric Shink +3 more
Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesDirect physiological evidence for scene segmentation by temporal coding.
403 Citations1991Andreas K. Engel, Peter König +1 more
It is concluded that stimulus-specific synchronization of spatially distributed neuronal responses may provide a physiological mechanism for scene segmentation by allowing for the segmentation of superimposed stimuli.
The Journal of PhysiologyMechanisms of long‐lasting hyperpolarizations underlying slow sleep oscillations in cat corticothalamic networks.
374 Citations1996Diego Contreras, Igor Timofeev +1 more
It is proposed that GABAB processes are stronger in TC than in Cx neurones, thus rendering the thalamus an easier target for absence‐type epileptic phenomena through potentiation of thalamic rebound capabilities.
Brain ResearchSpontaneous firing patterns of identified spiny neurons in the rat neostriatum
374 Citations1981Charles J. Wilson, Philip M. Groves
Intracellular recordings from identified spiny neurons revealed noisy irregular periods of maintained 5-20 mV membrane depolarizations which corresponded to the occurrence of bursts of firing in spontaneously active neurons.
ScienceConcerted Signaling by Retinal Ganglion Cells
351 Citations1995Markus Meister, Leon Lagnado +1 more
To analyze the rules that govern communication between eye and brain, visual responses were recorded from an intact salamander retina and concerted spikes encoded information not carried by individual cells; they may represent symbols in a multineuronal code for vision.
Journal of NeurophysiologyCoherent spatiotemporal patterns of ongoing activity revealed by real-time optical imaging coupled with single-unit recording in the cat visual cortex
348 Citations1995Amos Arieli, Doron Shoham +2 more
The result indicates that spontaneous activity of single neurons is not an independent process but is time locked to the firing or to the synaptic inputs from numerous neurons, all activated in a coherent fashion even without a sensory input.
NatureMembrane potential synchrony of simultaneously recorded striatal spiny neurons in vivo
347 Citations1998Edward A. Stern, Dieter Jaeger +1 more
It is proposed that the precisely timed, synchronous component of the membrane potential signals activation of cell assemblies and enables firing to occur and the asynchronous component, with low redundancy, determines the fine temporal pattern of spikes.
The Journal of PhysiologyAn intracellular analysis of geniculo‐cortical connectivity in area 17 of the cat.
334 Citations1983David Ferster, S. Lindström
The latencies of excitatory and inhibitory post‐synaptic potentials evoked by electrical stimulation of afferents from the lateral geniculate nucleus were recorded in neurones of area 17 of the cat visual cortex, suggesting that cortical neurones receive excitation and inhibition from the same type of geniculated afferentS.
Journal of NeuroscienceVariability and Correlated Noise in the Discharge of Neurons in Motor and Parietal Areas of the Primate Cortex
332 Citations1998Daeyeol Lee, Nicholas Port +2 more
The results suggest that nearby neurons with similar directional tuning carry primarily redundant messages, whereas neurons in separate cortical columns perform more independent processing.
Journal of NeuroscienceSynaptic Integration in Striate Cortical Simple Cells
329 Citations1998Judith Hirsch, José‐Manuel Alonso +2 more
The results suggest that intracortical inhibition is the dominant, and perhaps sole, mechanism of suppression in the simple receptive field, and the inhibitory influences operated within a wide dynamic range.
NatureLong-range synchronization of oscillatory light responses in the cat retina and lateral geniculate nucleus
323 Citations1996Sergio Neuenschwander, Wolf Singer
It is demonstrated, with simultaneous multi-electrode recordings from the retina and the LGN, that stationary and moving light stimuli evoke in retinal ganglion cells oscillatory responses in the frequency range of 61 to 114 Hz that become synchronized over distances larger than 20 degrees of visual angle across the nasal and temporal halves of the retina.
Journal of NeuroscienceUp and Down States in Striatal Medium Spiny Neurons Simultaneously Recorded with Spontaneous Activity in Fast-Spiking Interneurons Studied in Cortex–Striatum–Substantia Nigra Organotypic Cultures
285 Citations1998Dietmar Plenz, S.T. Kitai
The results support the view that the cortex provides a feedforward inhibition of MS neuron activity during the up state via FS interneurons.
Journal of NeuroscienceSynchronization of Visual Responses between the Cortex, Lateral Geniculate Nucleus, and Retina in the Anesthetized Cat
281 Citations1998Miguel Castelo‐Branco, Sergio Neuenschwander +1 more
NeuronStrength and Orientation Tuning of the Thalamic Input to Simple Cells Revealed by Electrically Evoked Cortical Suppression
276 Citations1998Sooyoung Chung, David Ferster
The Journal of PhysiologyAn intracellular analysis of the visual responses of neurones in cat visual cortex.
267 Citations1991Rodney J. Douglas, Kevan A Martin +1 more
The data do not support models of directionality and orientation that rely solely on strong inhibitory mechanisms to produce stimulus selectivity and directionality could not be predicted on the basis of the position of the hyperpolarizing inhibitory potentials found in the optimal direction.
Journal of NeurophysiologyShort- and long-range neuronal synchronization of the slow (< 1 Hz) cortical oscillation
230 Citations1995Florin Amzica, Mircea Steriade
Multisite, extra- and intracellular recordings were carried out in cats under ketamine and xylazine anesthesia to assess the degree of synchrony and time relations among cellular activities in various neocortical fields during a slow (< 1 Hz) oscillation consisting of long-lasting depolarizing and hyperpolarizing phases.
Journal of NeuroscienceDisconnection of intracortical synaptic linkages disrupts synchronization of a slow oscillation
219 Citations1995Florin Amzica, Mircea Steriade
It is demonstrated that pathways within or beneath the suprasylvian gyrus sustain the synchronization of the slow oscillation between cortical sites, as the loss of long-range coherence was not permanent, intergyral paths and/or corticothalamocortical loops may exert compensatory functions after the disconnection of intrasuprasylVian synaptic linkages.
Journal of NeurophysiologyOscillatory discharge in the visual system: does it have a functional role?
196 Citations1992Geoffrey M. Ghose, Ralph D. Freeman
The potential role of neuronal maturation in the generation of oscillatory activity was investigated by studying neuronal responses from kittens at 4 wk postnatal and the dependence of oscillations on different stimulus parameters was investigated.
Journal of NeurophysiologyStructural basis of cortical synchronization. I. Three types of interhemispheric coupling
171 Citations1995Lionel G. Nowak, Mhj Munk +3 more
T, C, and H peaks constitute, together with high-frequency oscillations, universal forms of temporal coupling between neurons located in different cortical areas, and are demonstrated to constitute the most common form of coupling in paralyzed cats.
Journal of NeurophysiologySubthreshold oscillations of the membrane potential: a functional synchronizing and timing device
165 Citations1993Ilan Lampl, Yosef Yarom
Data demonstrate that neurons from the inferior olivary nucleus are capable of operating as accurate synchronizing devices by affecting the delay line, which acts as a logic gate that ensures that the information will be added to the system only at given times.
Journal of NeurophysiologyMultimicroelectrode investigation of monkey striate cortex: spike train correlations in the infragranular layers
159 Citations1988Jürgen Krüger, Franz Aiple
In the infragranular layers of the striate cortex of three monkeys, it is concluded that orientation selectivity is shaped by collective interactions, and broad peaks partly result from intraretinal interactions whose effects are transmitted to the cortex via slow and fast pathways.
Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesMultineuronal codes in retinal signaling.
158 Citations1996Markus Meister
The evidence for a distributed coding scheme in the retinal output is reviewed and the performance limits of such codes are analyzed with simple examples, illustrating that they allow a powerful trade-off between spatial and temporal resolution.
Journal of NeurophysiologyTwo modes of interspike interval shortening by brief transient depolarizations in cat neocortical neurons
143 Citations1993Alex D. Reyes, E. E. Fetz
Comparisons suggest that PPs may be used to simulate the ISI shortenings caused by EPSPs, and possible mechanisms underlying the ISI shortening are examined.
Experimental Brain ResearchDisfacilitation and long-lasting inhibition of neostriatal neurons in the rat
121 Citations1983Charles J. Wilson, Howard T. Chang +1 more
The findings indicate that the long lasting inhibitory portion of the responses of neostriatal neurons arises from a phasic inhibition of tonically active corticostriats and thalamostriato neurons and a concurrent decrease in the excitability of polysynaptic pathways converging on neostRIatal neurons.
Journal of NeurophysiologyTuning Bandwidths for Near-Threshold Stimuli in Area MT
115 Citations1998Kenneth H. Britten, William T. Newsome
Directional tuning remains broad in MT when motion signals are reduced to near-threshold values, and these observations support models in which relatively large numbers of signals are pooled to inform psychophysical decisions.
Journal of NeurophysiologyEffects of transient depolarizing potentials on the firing rate of cat neocortical neurons
110 Citations1993Alex D. Reyes, Eberhard E. Fetz
The present report documents the dependence of the ISI shortening on the amplitudes of PPs and EPSPs and on the firing rate of the affected neuron, and the results matched the values that were computed directly from the spike trains.
The Journal of PhysiologyAugmenting responses evoked in area 17 of the cat by intracortical axon collaterals of cortico‐geniculate cells.
110 Citations1985David Ferster, S. Lindström
It is concluded that the described incremental response is identical to the augmenting response of Dempsey & Morison (1943) and is mediated by intracortical axon collaterals of antidromically activated cortico‐geniculate neurones.
The Journal of PhysiologyHorizontal interactions between visual cortical neurones studied by cross‐correlation analysis in the cat.
103 Citations1991Yoshiki Hata, Tadaharu Tsumoto +2 more
The results suggest that horizontal functional interactions exist mainly in a range of up to 400 microns as far as the extent of a hypercolumn of the visual cortex is concerned, and these interactions operate effectively between cortical cells with similar receptive field properties except for inhibitory interactions.
NeuroreportStimulus dependent intercolumnar synchronization of single unit responses in cat area 17
94 Citations1995Winrich A. Freiwald, Andreas K. Kreiter +1 more
This hypothesis predicts that individual cells in separate columns of the visual cortex should synchronize their discharges in response to a single coherent stimulus and fire asynchronously when each neurone responds to a different stimulus.
The Journal of PhysiologySynaptic excitation of neurones in area 17 of the cat by intracortical axon collaterals of cortico‐geniculate cells.
89 Citations1985David Ferster, S. Lindström
Antidromic activation of layer 6 cortico‐geniculate cells from the lateral geniculate nucleus was used to study synaptic effects mediated by their intracortical axon collaterals and revealed a late e.p.s.s evoked monosynaptically in principal cells of the l.n. by orthodromicactivation of cortico-geniculate fibres.
Journal of Physiology-ParisVoltage-clamp measurement of visually-evoked conductances with whole-cell patch recordings in primary visual cortex
61 Citations1996Lyle J. Borg-Graham, Cyril Monier +1 more
The observation of similar changes for the preferred and antagonist responses, when flashing On and OFF, a test stimulus in pure ON and OFF subfields supports the hypothesis of a role for shunting inhibition in the spatial organization of simple receptive fields.
NeuroscienceState-dependent fluctuations of low-frequency rhythms in corticothalamic networks
55 Citations1996Diego Contreras, Mircea Steriade
An electroencephalogram characterized by slow waves corresponds to a state of rhythmic and correlated firing among cortical and thalamic neurons, which transcends the borders which limit the functioning during the waking brain.
The Journal of PhysiologyThe relationship of receptive field properties to the dendritic shape of neurones in the cat striate cortex.
53 Citations1984Kevan A Martin, D. Whitteridge
The tangential arrangement of the dendrites does not appear to be important in determining the orientation selectivity or the size of the receptive fields of neurones in the cat visual cortex, while the extent and number of the afferents providing input to a single neurone may determine the latter property.
Biological CyberneticsThe RF-cinematogram
49 Citations1993Reinhard Eckhorn, F. Krause +1 more
The RFc reveals and economically portrays the spread of excitability and suppression across the receptive field, culminating in the generation of a spike, a receptive field cinematogram, RFc or ciné.
Journal of NeurophysiologyReceptive-field maps of correlated discharge between pairs of neurons in the cat's visual cortex
40 Citations1994Geoffrey M. Ghose, Izumi Ohzawa +1 more
The possibility that BRFs are stimulus artifacts is suggested, because the reverse correlation procedure can be used to characterize the spatiotemporal receptive-field structure of simple cells, and both the spatial and temporal properties associated with the URFs and BRFs of simple cell pairs are compared.