Gamma oscillations as a mechanism for selective information transmission

Abstract

In the past decades, many studies have focussed on the relation between the input and output of neurons with the aim to understand information processing by neurons. A particular aspect of neuronal information, which has not received much attention so far, concerns the problem of information transfer when a neuron or a population of neurons receives input from two or more (populations of) neurons, in particular when these (populations of) neurons carry different types of information. The aim of the present study is to investigate the responses of neurons to multiple inputs modulated in the gamma frequency range. By a combination of theoretical approaches and computer simulations, we test the hypothesis that enhanced modulation of synchronized excitatory neuronal activity in the gamma frequency range provides an advantage over a less synchronized input for various types of neurons. The results of this study show that the spike output of various types of neurons [i.e. the leaky integrate and fire neuron, the quadratic integrate and fire neuron and the Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) neuron] and that of excitatory-inhibitory coupled pairs of neurons, like the Pyramidal Interneuronal Network Gamma (PING) model, is highly phase-locked to the larger of two gamma-modulated input signals. This implies that the neuron selectively responds to the input with the larger gamma modulation if the amplitude of the gamma modulation exceeds that of the other signals by a certain amount. In that case, the output of the neuron is entrained by one of multiple inputs and that other inputs are not represented in the output. This mechanism for selective information transmission is enhanced for short membrane time constants of the neuron.

Hypotheses Relating to the Function of the Claustrum

“…Gielen et al (2010) have conducted a theoretical and computer simulation study, and have come to the conclusion that the target neuron(s) fired in a pattern that was highly phase-locked with the larger of the two afferent signals. The question then arises what is the result if they are of equal size.…”

Interaction between connectivity and oscillatory currents in a heterogeneous neuronal network

“…Their implicated roles also vary widely as a function of their amplitude and frequency [8,48]. While high frequency gamma oscillations are thought to play an important role during focused attention and recall [2,4], slower theta/beta band oscillations are thought to be important for learning [49,50].…”

“…Delta (1-4 Hz) [11], theta (4-10 Hz) [4,12], alpha (8)(9)(10)(11)(12) Hz) [11], and gamma (25-100 Hz) [2,3,[13][14][15][16] frequencies are more than just categorical denominations as each range is prominent and have independent functions in different areas. Accordingly, a considerable amount of work has been dedicated to the mechanisms involved in the generation of these oscillations (for example [15,17,18] and references therein).…”

“…Interaction between connectivity and oscillatory currents in a heterogeneous neuronal network The oscillatory patterning of neural activity is ubiquitous and is thought to play a major role, in many functions, across nearly all regions of the brain [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Delta (1-4 Hz) [11], theta (4-10 Hz) [4,12], alpha (8)(9)(10)(11)(12) Hz) [11], and gamma (25-100 Hz) [2,3,[13][14][15][16] frequencies are more than just categorical denominations as each range is prominent and have independent functions in different areas.…”

Synchronization of neuron population subject to steady DC electric field induced by magnetic stimulation

“…In pursuit of the idea that synchronous rhythms are actually relevant to adaptive brain functioning, increasingly specific relationships have been proposed between neuronal oscillations and numerous cognitive functions. For instance, evidence from studies of the cortical gamma rhythm suggests that it is associated with temporal binding of sensory stimuli (Kaiser et al 2009;Tallon-Baudry 2009;Sederberg et al 2007), information transmission (Gielen et al 2010;Börgers and Kopell 2008;Li et al 2011), attentiveness (Lakatos et al 2008;Gu and Liljenström 2007), cognitive processing (Rojas-Líbano and Kay 2008), focused arousal (Lee et al 2001), sensory perception (Correa and Nobre 2008;Schroeder and Lakatos 2009) and movement (Cheyne et al 2008), memory (Ventriglia 2008). In addition to above evidence for normal function related with gamma oscillatory, more recent results clearly indicate that an altered or aberrant version of normal gamma oscillatory activity may be associated with cognitive and behavioral impairments in schizophrenia (Uhlhaas et al 2006;Uhlhaas and Singer 2010;Haenschel et al 2009).…”