Propagating Waves of Activity in the Neocortex: What They Are, What They Do

The development of voltage-sensitive dyes (VSD) and fast optical imaging techniques have brought us a new tool for examining spatiotemporal patterns of population neuronal activity in the neocortex. Propagating waves have been observed during almost every type of cortical processing examined by VSD...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Neuroscientist (Baltimore, Md.) Md.), 2008-10, Vol.14 (5), p.487-502
Main Authors: Wu, Jian-Young, Xiaoying Huang, Chuan Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Action Potentials - physiology
Animals
Electrophysiology - methods
Electrophysiology - trends
Evoked Potentials - physiology
Fluorescent Dyes
Humans
Neocortex - cytology
Neocortex - physiology
Nerve Net - cytology
Nerve Net - physiology
Neural Pathways - cytology
Neural Pathways - physiology
Neurons - cytology
Neurons - physiology
Optics and Photonics - methods
Optics and Photonics - trends
Sensory Receptor Cells - cytology
Sensory Receptor Cells - physiology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The development of voltage-sensitive dyes (VSD) and fast optical imaging techniques have brought us a new tool for examining spatiotemporal patterns of population neuronal activity in the neocortex. Propagating waves have been observed during almost every type of cortical processing examined by VSD imaging or electrode arrays. These waves provide subthreshold depolarization to individual neurons and increase their spiking probability. Therefore, the propagation of the waves sets up a spatiotemporal framework for increased excitability in neuronal populations, which can help to determine when and where the neurons are likely to fire. In this review, first discussed is propagating waves observed in various systems and possible mechanisms for generating and sustaining these waves. Then discussed are wave dynamics as an emergent behavior of the population activity that can, in turn, influence the activity of individual neurons. The functions of spontaneous and sensory-evoked waves remain to be explored. An important next step will be to examine the interaction between dynamics of propagating waves and functions in the cortex, and to verify if cortical processing can be modified when these waves are altered. NEUROSCIENTIST 14(5):487—502, 2008. DOI: 10.1177/1073858408317066
ISSN:1073-8584
1089-4098
DOI:10.1177/1073858408317066