Thalamus mediates neocortical Down state transition via GABA-receptor-targeting interneurons.

Slow-wave sleep is characterized by near-synchronous alternation of active Up states and quiescent Down states in the neocortex. Although the cortex itself can maintain these oscillations, the full expression of Up-Down states requires intact thalamocortical circuits. Sensory thalamic input can drive the cortex into an Up state.

No friends 1.

Winning entry to the Student Voice 2019. The article focuses on a personal encounter that I had as a medical student when I was sent off to 'study' a patient with a rare disease who had been admitted to hospital.

Partial restoration of physiological UP-state activity by GABA pathway modulation in an acute brain slice model of epilepsy.

In addition to reducing seizures, anti-epileptic treatments should preserve physiological network activity. Here, we used a thalamocortical slice preparation displaying physiological slow oscillations to investigate the effects of anticonvulsant drugs on physiological activity and epileptiform activity in two pharmacological epilepsy models. Thus, we compared the effects of GABA pharmacology on spontaneous physiological and pathological events in slices of the mouse barrel cortex.