Neurons in the brain communicate by short electrical pulses, the so-called action potentials or spikes. How can we understand the process of spike generation? How can we understand information transmission by neurons? What happens if thousands of neurons are coupled together in a seemingly random network? How does the network connectivity determine the activity patterns? And, vice versa, how does the spike activity influence the connectivity pattern? These questions are addressed in this 2002 introduction to spiking neurons aimed at those taking courses in computational neuroscience, theoretical biology, biophysics, or neural networks. The approach will suit students of physics, mathematics, or computer science; it will also be useful for biologists who are interested in mathematical modelling. The text is enhanced by many worked examples and illustrations. There are no mathematical prerequisites beyond what the audience would meet as undergraduates: more advanced techniques are introduced in an elementary, concrete fashion when needed.

/pdf/spiking-neuron-models-single-neurons-populations-plasticity-58gzrd6ih6.pdf

Spiking Neuron Models: Single Neurons, Populations, Plasticity

Synchronous rhythms represent a core mechanism for sculpting temporal coordination of neural activity in the brain-wide network. This review focuses on oscillations in the cerebral cortex that occur during cognition, in alert behaving conditions. Over the last two decades, experimental and modeling work has made great strides in elucidating the detailed cellular and circuit basis of these rhythms, particularly gamma and theta rhythms. The underlying physiological mechanisms are diverse (ranging from resonance and pacemaker properties of single cells to multiple scenarios for population synchronization and wave propagation), but also exhibit unifying principles. A major conceptual advance was the realization that synaptic inhibition plays a fundamental role in rhythmogenesis, either in an interneuronal network or in a reciprocal excitatory-inhibitory loop. Computational functions of synchronous oscillations in cognition are still a matter of debate among systems neuroscientists, in part because the notion of regular oscillation seems to contradict the common observation that spiking discharges of individual neurons in the cortex are highly stochastic and far from being clocklike. However, recent findings have led to a framework that goes beyond the conventional theory of coupled oscillators and reconciles the apparent dichotomy between irregular single neuron activity and field potential oscillations. From this perspective, a plethora of studies will be reviewed on the involvement of long-distance neuronal coherence in cognitive functions such as multisensory integration, working memory, and selective attention. Finally, implications of abnormal neural synchronization are discussed as they relate to mental disorders like schizophrenia and autism.

/pdf/neurophysiological-and-computational-principles-of-cortical-48xnk4ixsg.pdf

Neurophysiological and Computational Principles of Cortical Rhythms in Cognition

GABAergic Interneurons in the Neocortex: From Cellular Properties to Circuits

The action potential of the squid giant axon is formed by just two voltage- dependent conductances in the cell membrane, yet mammalian central neurons typically express more than a dozen different types of voltage-dependent ion channels. This rich repertoire of channels allows neurons to encode information by generating action potentials with a wide range of shapes, frequencies and patterns. Recent work offers an increasingly detailed understanding of how the expression of particular channel types underlies the remarkably diverse firing behaviour of various types of neurons.

The action potential in mammalian central neurons

How Inhibition Shapes Cortical Activity

Neocortical neurons in awake, behaving animals can generate high-frequency (>300 Hz) bursts of action potentials, either in single bursts or in a repetitive manner. Intracellular recordings of layer II/III pyramidal neurons were obtained from adult ferret visual cortical slices maintained in vitro to investigate the ionic mechanisms by which a subgroup of these cells generates repetitive, high-frequency burst discharges, a pattern referred to as "chattering." The generation of each but the first action potential in a burst was dependent on the critical interplay between the afterhyperpolarizations (AHPs) and afterdepolarizations (ADPs) that followed each action potential. The spike-afterdepolarization and the generation of action potential bursts were dependent on Na(+), but not Ca(2+), currents. Neither blocking of the transmembrane flow of Ca(2+) nor the intracellular chelation of free Ca(2+) with BAPTA inhibited the generation of intrinsic bursts. In contrast, decreasing the extracellular Na(+) concentration or pharmacologically blocking Na(+) currents with tetrodotoxin, QX-314, or phenytoin inhibited bursting before inhibiting action potential generation. Additionally, a subset of layer II/III pyramidal neurons could be induced to switch from repetitive single spiking to a burst-firing mode by constant depolarizing current injection, by raising extracellular K(+) concentrations, or by potentiation of the persistent Na(+) current with the Na(+) channel toxin ATX II. These results indicate that cortical neurons may dynamically regulate their pattern of action potential generation through control of Na(+) and K(+) currents. The generation of high-frequency burst discharges may strongly influence the response of postsynaptic neurons and the operation of local cortical networks.

https://www.jneurosci.org/content/jneuro/20/13/4829.full.pdf

Ionic Mechanisms Underlying Repetitive High-Frequency Burst Firing in Supragranular Cortical Neurons

Rodents actively whisk their external environment, traditionally thought to only activate neurons in the somatosensory (touch) pathway. New evidence demonstrates that whisking of surfaces evokes sounds that activate the auditory pathway and are salient enough to allow for object identification.

Rodent senses: Whisking for sound not just touch

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Ionic Mechanisms Underlying Repetitive High-Frequency Burst Firing in Supragranular Cortical Neurons

Rodent senses: Whisking for sound not just touch