Barrel cortical neurons and astrocytes coordinately respond to an increased whisker stimulus frequency.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Nerve cells program the brain codes to manage well-organized cognitions and behaviors. It remains unclear how a population of neurons and astrocytes work coordinately to encode their spatial and temporal activity patterns in response to frequency and intensity signals from sensory inputs.

Results

With two-photon imaging and electrophysiology to record cellular functions in the barrel cortex in vivo, we analyzed the activity patterns of neurons and astrocytes in response to whisker stimuli with increasing frequency, an environmental stimulus pattern that rodents experience in the accelerated motion. Compared to the resting state, whisker stimulation caused barrel neurons and astrocytes to be activated more synchronously. An increased stimulus frequency up-regulated

SUBMITTER: Zhao J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3465214 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature