Structured networks support sparse traveling waves in rodent somatosensory cortex
Abstract
The deflection of a single whisker activates neurons in the corresponding barrel of rodent somatosensory cortex, which is followed by a traveling wave of activity across the upper layer 2/3 (L2/3) of barrel cortex. There are many ways to generate traveling waves, but the model that we propose is the only one that is constrained by the data from the barrel cortex. We also explain the importance of traveling waves for encoding sensory stimuli in the barrel cortex and show how whisker stimulation induces horizontal propagation of activity within the barrel cortex with the observed sparse neural activity. Our theory contrasts the conventional theory of sensory processing, which assumes feedforward processing in hierarchically organized cortical networks.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Apr 30, 2018
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.1710202115
Entities
People
- Daniel E. Feldman
- Maxim Bazhenov
- Samat Moldakarimov
- Terrence J. Sejnowski
Organizations
- Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Office of Naval Research
- University of California, San Diego