Topic: synchronized neuronal activity

Neuronal activity in the brain exhibits a synchronized pattern during restful states and a desynchronized pattern during active behaviors. Synaptic plasticity during the synchronized states is critical for knowledge reorganization and abstraction. However, the mechanisms underlying the influence of synchronized neuronal activity on neural circuits through plasticity remain incompletely understood. The transition between synchronized and desynchronized states involves substantial modulation of inhibition, which significantly alters the excitation-inhibition (EI) balance in synaptic inputs. The

In the cerebral cortex, activity dynamics measured at a mesoscopic (0.1 to 1 mm) scale are characterized by both spontaneous and task-related dynamical waves of synchronized neuronal activity ranging from spreading stationary depolarizations (blobs) to traveling waves that can follow complex trajectories throughout the cortical network. These waves are thought to participate in information propagation and processing, but remain poorly understood. To test whether cortical waves can be actively generated and their trajectory controlled, we have implemented a goal-directed task for head-fixed mic