Coherence between Rat Sensorimotor System and Hippocampus Is Enhanced during Tactile Discrimination.

Rhythms with time scales of multiple cycles per second permeate the mammalian brain, yet neuroscientists are not certain of their functional roles. One leading idea is that coherent oscillation between two brain regions facilitates the exchange of information between them. In rats, the hippocampus a...

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Main Authors: Natalia Grion, Athena Akrami, Yangfang Zuo, Federico Stella, Mathew E Diamond
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2016-02-01
Series:PLoS Biology
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4758608?pdf=render
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author Natalia Grion
Athena Akrami
Yangfang Zuo
Federico Stella
Mathew E Diamond
author_facet Natalia Grion
Athena Akrami
Yangfang Zuo
Federico Stella
Mathew E Diamond
author_sort Natalia Grion
collection DOAJ
description Rhythms with time scales of multiple cycles per second permeate the mammalian brain, yet neuroscientists are not certain of their functional roles. One leading idea is that coherent oscillation between two brain regions facilitates the exchange of information between them. In rats, the hippocampus and the vibrissal sensorimotor system both are characterized by rhythmic oscillation in the theta range, 5-12 Hz. Previous work has been divided as to whether the two rhythms are independent or coherent. To resolve this question, we acquired three measures from rats--whisker motion, hippocampal local field potential (LFP), and barrel cortex unit firing--during a whisker-mediated texture discrimination task and during control conditions (not engaged in a whisker-mediated memory task). Compared to control conditions, the theta band of hippocampal LFP showed a marked increase in power as the rats approached and then palpated the texture. Phase synchronization between whisking and hippocampal LFP increased by almost 50% during approach and texture palpation. In addition, a greater proportion of barrel cortex neurons showed firing that was phase-locked to hippocampal theta while rats were engaged in the discrimination task. Consistent with a behavioral consequence of phase synchronization, the rats identified the texture more rapidly and with lower error likelihood on trials in which there was an increase in theta-whisking coherence at the moment of texture palpation. These results suggest that coherence between the whisking rhythm, barrel cortex firing, and hippocampal LFP is augmented selectively during epochs in which the rat collects sensory information and that such coherence enhances the efficiency of integration of stimulus information into memory and decision-making centers.
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spelling doaj.art-5f471b82de144089a7d00a0f1a3f3b582022-12-21T20:25:44ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Biology1544-91731545-78852016-02-01142e100238410.1371/journal.pbio.1002384Coherence between Rat Sensorimotor System and Hippocampus Is Enhanced during Tactile Discrimination.Natalia GrionAthena AkramiYangfang ZuoFederico StellaMathew E DiamondRhythms with time scales of multiple cycles per second permeate the mammalian brain, yet neuroscientists are not certain of their functional roles. One leading idea is that coherent oscillation between two brain regions facilitates the exchange of information between them. In rats, the hippocampus and the vibrissal sensorimotor system both are characterized by rhythmic oscillation in the theta range, 5-12 Hz. Previous work has been divided as to whether the two rhythms are independent or coherent. To resolve this question, we acquired three measures from rats--whisker motion, hippocampal local field potential (LFP), and barrel cortex unit firing--during a whisker-mediated texture discrimination task and during control conditions (not engaged in a whisker-mediated memory task). Compared to control conditions, the theta band of hippocampal LFP showed a marked increase in power as the rats approached and then palpated the texture. Phase synchronization between whisking and hippocampal LFP increased by almost 50% during approach and texture palpation. In addition, a greater proportion of barrel cortex neurons showed firing that was phase-locked to hippocampal theta while rats were engaged in the discrimination task. Consistent with a behavioral consequence of phase synchronization, the rats identified the texture more rapidly and with lower error likelihood on trials in which there was an increase in theta-whisking coherence at the moment of texture palpation. These results suggest that coherence between the whisking rhythm, barrel cortex firing, and hippocampal LFP is augmented selectively during epochs in which the rat collects sensory information and that such coherence enhances the efficiency of integration of stimulus information into memory and decision-making centers.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4758608?pdf=render
spellingShingle Natalia Grion
Athena Akrami
Yangfang Zuo
Federico Stella
Mathew E Diamond
Coherence between Rat Sensorimotor System and Hippocampus Is Enhanced during Tactile Discrimination.
PLoS Biology
title Coherence between Rat Sensorimotor System and Hippocampus Is Enhanced during Tactile Discrimination.
title_full Coherence between Rat Sensorimotor System and Hippocampus Is Enhanced during Tactile Discrimination.
title_fullStr Coherence between Rat Sensorimotor System and Hippocampus Is Enhanced during Tactile Discrimination.
title_full_unstemmed Coherence between Rat Sensorimotor System and Hippocampus Is Enhanced during Tactile Discrimination.
title_short Coherence between Rat Sensorimotor System and Hippocampus Is Enhanced during Tactile Discrimination.
title_sort coherence between rat sensorimotor system and hippocampus is enhanced during tactile discrimination
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4758608?pdf=render
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AT yangfangzuo coherencebetweenratsensorimotorsystemandhippocampusisenhancedduringtactilediscrimination
AT federicostella coherencebetweenratsensorimotorsystemandhippocampusisenhancedduringtactilediscrimination
AT mathewediamond coherencebetweenratsensorimotorsystemandhippocampusisenhancedduringtactilediscrimination