Temporal coupling with cortex distinguishes spontaneous neuronal activities in identified basal ganglia-recipient and cerebellar-recipient zones of the motor thalamus.

ABSTRACT: Neurons of the motor thalamus mediate basal ganglia and cerebellar influences on cortical activity. To elucidate the net result of γ-aminobutyric acid-releasing or glutamatergic bombardment of the motor thalamus by basal ganglia or cerebellar afferents, respectively, we recorded the spontaneous activities of thalamocortical neurons in distinct identified "input zones" in anesthetized rats during defined cortical activity states. Unexpectedly, the mean rates and brain state dependencies of the firing of neurons in basal ganglia-recipient zone (BZ) and cerebellar-recipient zone (CZ) were matched during slow-wave activity (SWA) and cortical activation. However, neurons were distinguished during SWA by their firing regularities, low-threshold spike bursts and, more strikingly, by the temporal

SUBMITTER: Nakamura KC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3862266 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature