Morphine Disrupts Long-Range Synchrony of Gamma Oscillations in Hippocampal Slices

Oscillations in neuronal population activity within the gamma frequency band (>25 Hz) have been correlated with cognition: Gamma oscillations could bind together features of a sensory stimulus by generating synchrony between discrete cortical areas [Eckhorn, R., Bauer, R., Jordan, W., Brosch, M.,...

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Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1998-05, Vol.95 (10), p.5807-5811
Main Authors: Whittington, M. A., Traub, R. D., Faulkner, H. J., Jefferys, J. G. R., Chettiar, K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analgesics, Opioid - pharmacology
Animals
Axons
beta-Endorphin - pharmacology
Biochemistry
Biological Sciences
Brain
Cortical Synchronization - drug effects
Electrophysiology
Frequency ranges
Hippocampus
Hippocampus - drug effects
Hippocampus - physiology
In Vitro Techniques
Interneurons
Male
Medical schools
Morphine
Morphine - pharmacology
Narcotics
Neurology
Neurons
Neurons - drug effects
Neurons - physiology
Neuroscience
Pyramidal cells
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Receptors
Receptors, GABA - metabolism
Studies
Theta Rhythm - drug effects
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Summary:Oscillations in neuronal population activity within the gamma frequency band (>25 Hz) have been correlated with cognition: Gamma oscillations could bind together features of a sensory stimulus by generating synchrony between discrete cortical areas [Eckhorn, R., Bauer, R., Jordan, W., Brosch, M., Kruse, W., Munk, M. & Reitboeck, H. J. (1989) Biol. Cybern. 60, 121-130; Singer, W. & Gray, C. M. (1995) Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 18, 555-556]. Herein we demonstrate that morphine and β -endorphin disrupt this long-range synchrony of gamma oscillations while leaving the synchrony of local oscillations relatively intact. The effect is caused by a decrease in type A γ -aminobutyric acid receptor-mediated inhibition of both excitatory pyramidal cells and inhibitory interneurons. The effects of morphine on gamma oscillations were blocked by μ -opioid receptor antagonists but not by antagonists of δ or κ receptors. Morphine also produced burst firing in interneurons, because synaptic excitation from pyramidal cells was no longer balanced by synchronous inhibitory postsynaptic potentials. The loss of synchrony of gamma oscillations induced by morphine may constitute one mechanism involved in producing the cognitive deficits that this drug causes clinically.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.95.10.5807