Thalamic control of cortical states

Cortical states regulate behavior, but the network mechanisms underlying cortical states are unknown. Here the authors show that the desynchronized cortical state that occurs during active behavior is driven by an increase in thalamic firing independent of sensory input, which can be mimicked by opt...

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Veröffentlicht in:Nature neuroscience 2012-03, Vol.15 (3), p.370-372
Hauptverfasser: Poulet, James F A, Fernandez, Laura M J, Crochet, Sylvain, Petersen, Carl C H
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Cortical states regulate behavior, but the network mechanisms underlying cortical states are unknown. Here the authors show that the desynchronized cortical state that occurs during active behavior is driven by an increase in thalamic firing independent of sensory input, which can be mimicked by optogenetic stimulation of the thalamus. We investigated the impact of thalamus on ongoing cortical activity in the awake, behaving mouse. We demonstrate that the desynchronized cortical state during active behavior is driven by a centrally generated increase in thalamic action potential firing, which can also be mimicked by optogenetic stimulation of the thalamus. The thalamus therefore is key in controlling cortical states.
ISSN:1097-6256
1546-1726
DOI:10.1038/nn.3035