On cross-frequency phase-phase coupling between theta and gamma oscillations in the hippocampus.

Phase-amplitude coupling between theta and multiple gamma sub-bands is a hallmark of hippocampal activity and believed to take part in information routing. More recently, theta and gamma oscillations were also reported to exhibit phase-phase coupling, or n:m phase-locking, suggesting an important mechanism of neuronal coding that has long received theoretical support. However, by analyzing simulated and actual LFPs, here we question the existence of theta-gamma phase-phase coupling in the rat hippocampus.

S100B protein and neuron-specific enolase as predictors of cognitive dysfunction after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: A prospective observational study.

Background: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) may be related to the systemic inflammatory response and an increase in serum markers of brain injury such as S100B protein and neuron-specific enolase (NSE).

Objective: The study aims to evaluate the association between POCD and serum levels of S100B and NSE after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG).

Design: Prospective observational study.

A Respiration-Coupled Rhythm in the Rat Hippocampus Independent of Theta and Slow Oscillations.

Unlabelled: During slow-wave sleep and deep anesthesia, the rat hippocampus displays a slow oscillation (SO) that follows "up-and-down" state transitions in the neocortex. There has been recent debate as to whether this local field potential (LFP) rhythm reflects internal processing or entrains with respiratory inputs. To solve this issue, here we have concomitantly recorded respiration along with hippocampal, neocortical, and olfactory bulb (OB) LFPs in rats anesthetized with urethane.

Impaired theta-gamma coupling in APP-deficient mice.

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is critically involved in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease, but its physiological functions remain elusive. Importantly, APP knockout (APP-KO) mice exhibit cognitive deficits, suggesting that APP plays a role at the neuronal network level. To investigate this possibility, we recorded local field potentials (LFPs) from the posterior parietal cortex, dorsal hippocampus and lateral prefrontal cortex of freely moving APP-KO mice.

On the photovoltaic effect in local field potential recordings.

Optogenetics allows light activation of genetically defined cell populations and the study of their link to specific brain functions. While it is a powerful method that has revolutionized neuroscience in the last decade, the shortcomings of directly stimulating electrodes and living tissue with light have been poorly characterized. Here, we assessed the photovoltaic effects in local field potential (LFP) recordings of the mouse hippocampus.

Hippocampal Respiration-Driven Rhythm Distinct from Theta Oscillations in Awake Mice.

Unlabelled: We have recently described a slow oscillation in the hippocampus of urethane-anesthetized mice, which couples to nasal respiration and is clearly distinct from co-occurring theta oscillations. Here we set out to investigate whether such type of patterned network activity, which we named "hippocampal respiration rhythm" (HRR), also occurs in awake mice. In freely moving mice, instantaneous respiration rate is extremely variable, and respiration is superimposed by bouts of sniffing.

Synaptic Homeostasis and Restructuring across the Sleep-Wake Cycle.

Sleep is critical for hippocampus-dependent memory consolidation. However, the underlying mechanisms of synaptic plasticity are poorly understood. The central controversy is on whether long-term potentiation (LTP) takes a role during sleep and which would be its specific effect on memory.

Multifactoriality in Psychiatric Disorders: A Computational Study of Schizophrenia.

The search for biological causes of mental disorders has up to now met with limited success, leading to growing dissatisfaction with diagnostic classifications. However, it is questionable whether most clinical syndromes should be expected to correspond to specific microscale brain alterations, as multiple low-level causes could lead to similar symptoms in different individuals. In order to evaluate the potential multifactoriality of alterations related to psychiatric illness, we performed a parametric exploration of published computational models of schizophrenia.

Beta2 oscillations (23-30 Hz) in the mouse hippocampus during novel object recognition.

The oscillatory activity of hippocampal neuronal networks is believed to play a role in memory acquisition and consolidation. Particular focus has been given to characterising theta (4-12 Hz), gamma (40-100 Hz) and ripple (150-250 Hz) oscillations. Beyond these well-described network states, few studies have investigated hippocampal beta2 (23-30 Hz) activity in vivo and its link to behaviour.

Local field potentials in the gustatory cortex carry taste information.

It has been recently shown that local field potentials (LFPs) from the auditory and visual cortices carry information about sensory stimuli, but whether this is a universal property of sensory cortices remains to be determined. Moreover, little is known about the temporal dynamics of sensory information contained in LFPs following stimulus onset. Here we investigated the time course of the amount of stimulus information in LFPs and spikes from the gustatory cortex of awake rats subjected to tastants and water delivery on the tongue.

An investigation of Hebbian phase sequences as assembly graphs.

Hebb proposed that synapses between neurons that fire synchronously are strengthened, forming cell assemblies and phase sequences. The former, on a shorter scale, are ensembles of synchronized cells that function transiently as a closed processing system; the latter, on a larger scale, correspond to the sequential activation of cell assemblies able to represent percepts and behaviors. Nowadays, the recording of large neuronal populations allows for the detection of multiple cell assemblies.

Slow oscillations in the mouse hippocampus entrained by nasal respiration.

Different types of network oscillations occur in different behavioral, cognitive, or vigilance states. The rodent hippocampus expresses prominent θ oscillations at frequencies between 4 and 12 Hz, which are superimposed by phase-coupled γ oscillations (30-100 Hz). These patterns entrain multineuronal activity over large distances and have been implicated in sensory information processing and memory formation.

Sonic hedgehog signaling regulates mode of cell division of early cerebral cortex progenitors and increases astrogliogenesis.

The morphogen Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) plays a critical role in the development of different tissues. In the central nervous system, SHH is well known to contribute to the patterning of the spinal cord and separation of the brain hemispheres. In addition, it has recently been shown that SHH signaling also contributes to the patterning of the telencephalon and establishment of adult neurogenic niches.

Increase in hippocampal theta oscillations during spatial decision making.

The processing of spatial and mnemonic information is believed to depend on hippocampal theta oscillations (5-12 Hz). However, in rats both the power and the frequency of the theta rhythm are modulated by locomotor activity, which is a major confounding factor when estimating its cognitive correlates. Previous studies have suggested that hippocampal theta oscillations support decision-making processes.

Ketamine alters oscillatory coupling in the hippocampus.

Recent studies show that higher order oscillatory interactions such as cross-frequency coupling are important for brain functions that are impaired in schizophrenia, including perception, attention and memory. Here we investigated the dynamics of oscillatory coupling in the hippocampus of awake rats upon NMDA receptor blockade by ketamine, a pharmacological model of schizophrenia. Ketamine (25, 50 and 75 mg/kg i.

Detecting cell assemblies in large neuronal populations.

Recent progress in the technology for single unit recordings has given the neuroscientific community the opportunity to record the spiking activity of large neuronal populations. At the same pace, statistical and mathematical tools were developed to deal with high-dimensional datasets typical of such recordings. A major line of research investigates the functional role of subsets of neurons with significant co-firing behavior: the Hebbian cell assemblies.

On high-frequency field oscillations (>100 Hz) and the spectral leakage of spiking activity.

Recent reports converge to the idea that high-frequency oscillations in local field potentials (LFPs) represent multiunit activity. In particular, the amplitude of LFP activity above 100 Hz-commonly referred to as "high-gamma" or "epsilon" band-was found to correlate with firing rate. However, other studies suggest the existence of true LFP oscillations at this frequency range that are different from the well established ripple oscillations.

Rising publication delays inflate journal impact factors.

Journal impact factors have become an important criterion to judge the quality of scientific publications over the years, influencing the evaluation of institutions and individual researchers worldwide. However, they are also subject to a number of criticisms. Here we point out that the calculation of a journal's impact factor is mainly based on the date of publication of its articles in print form, despite the fact that most journals now make their articles available online before that date.

Global slowing of network oscillations in mouse neocortex by diazepam.

Benzodiazepines have a broad spectrum of clinical applications including sedation, anti-anxiety, and anticonvulsive therapy. At the cellular level, benzodiazepines are allosteric modulators of GABA(A) receptors; they increase the efficacy of inhibition in neuronal networks by prolonging the duration of inhibitory postsynaptic potentials. This mechanism of action predicts that benzodiazepines reduce the frequency of inhibition-driven network oscillations, consistent with observations from human and animal EEG.

OLM interneurons differentially modulate CA3 and entorhinal inputs to hippocampal CA1 neurons.

The vast diversity of GABAergic interneurons is believed to endow hippocampal microcircuits with the required flexibility for memory encoding and retrieval. However, dissection of the functional roles of defined interneuron types has been hampered by the lack of cell-specific tools. We identified a precise molecular marker for a population of hippocampal GABAergic interneurons known as oriens lacunosum-moleculare (OLM) cells.

Theta-associated high-frequency oscillations (110-160Hz) in the hippocampus and neocortex.

We review recent evidence for a novel type of fast cortical oscillatory activity that occurs circumscribed between 110 and 160Hz, which we refer to as high-frequency oscillations (HFOs). HFOs characteristically occur modulated by theta phase in the hippocampus and neocortex. HFOs can co-occur with gamma oscillations nested in the same theta cycle, in which case they typically peak at different theta phases.

Distinct features of fast oscillations in phasic and tonic rapid eye movement sleep.

Spatiotemporal activity patterns of neurones are organized by different types of coherent network oscillations. Frequency content and cross-frequency coupling of cortical oscillations are strongly state-dependent, indicating that different patterns of wakefulness or sleep, respectively, support different cognitive or mnestic processes. It is therefore crucial to analyse specific sleep patterns with respect to their oscillations, including interaction between fast and slow rhythms.

Selective coupling between theta phase and neocortical fast gamma oscillations during REM-sleep in mice.

Background: The mammalian brain expresses a wide range of state-dependent network oscillations which vary in frequency and spatial extension. Such rhythms can entrain multiple neurons into coherent patterns of activity, consistent with a role in behaviour, cognition and memory formation. Recent evidence suggests that locally generated fast network oscillations can be systematically aligned to long-range slow oscillations.

Theta phase modulates multiple layer-specific oscillations in the CA1 region.

It was recently proposed that fast gamma oscillations (60-150 Hz) convey spatial information from the medial entorhinal cortex (EC) to the CA1 region of the hippocampus. However, here we describe 2 functionally distinct oscillations within this frequency range, both coupled to the theta rhythm during active exploration and rapid eye movement sleep: an oscillation with peak activity at ∼80 Hz and a faster oscillation centered at ∼140 Hz. The 2 oscillations are differentially modulated by the phase of theta depending on the CA1 layer; theta-80 Hz coupling is strongest at stratum lacunosum-moleculare, while theta-140 Hz coupling is strongest at stratum oriens-alveus.

A mechanism for the formation of hippocampal neuronal firing patterns that represent what happens where.

The association of specific events with the context in which they occur is a fundamental feature of episodic memory. However, the underlying network mechanisms generating what-where associations are poorly understood. Recently we reported that some hippocampal principal neurons develop representations of specific events occurring in particular locations (item-position cells).