The background impulse activity of individual neurons was recorded extracellularly in the cerebral cortex of the cat during the prolonged microionophoretic delivery to these neurons of L-glutamate. Glutamate ionophoresis ensured the transition of the neuron to an elevated, but stable level of activation. An autocorrelation analysis of the trains of impulses showed that in spite of the multiple rise in the average discharge frequency, the type of background impulse activity and the periods of increased and reduced probability of discharges for the most part remained constant. The obtained data indicate that an individual cell is unable to influence substantially the interneurons connected with it, while the type of background activity of a neuron is determined primarily by the level of activation of the cellular ensemble incorporating this neuron.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Autocorrelation analysis of spontaneous discharges of cortical neurons during learning.

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Action Potentials↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Responses of cortical neurons to microiontophoretic application of acetylcholine to their dendrites.

Spike responses of neurons to the microiontophoretic application of acetylcholine to the soma and the dendrites were studied. The somatic and dendritic membranes had virtually equal sensitivity to acetylcholine. Only activatory responses were seen, which were most typical of spontaneously active neurons. Muscarinic activation induced spike responses with equal latent periods and equal intensities on application of acetylcholine to dendrites and the soma. It is suggested that intracellular chemical signaling is involved in the propagation of cholinergic excitation via dendrites.

Acetylcholine↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Cholinergic modulation of neuronal spike reactions to dendritic and somatic application of excitatory acids].

Acetylcholine effects on neuronal firing responses evoked by somatic or dendritic applications of excitatory amino acids were studied in slices of guinea-pig parietal cortex. Excitatory reactions initiated by dendritic activation were enhanced by acetylcholine wherever it was iontophoretically applied: either to soma or dendrites. The effect consisted in shortening spike response latencies and increasing response intensity and duration. The modified responses were recorded within 1-min interval after acetylcholine microinjections at a distance within 300 microns of the soma. Parameters of responses to somatic applications of excitatory amino acids were not significantly changed by acetylcholine. The results suggest that acetylcholine improves dendritic propagation rather than membrane excitability.

Acetylcholine↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Membrane and network theta-rhythm generation in hippocampal slices.

The hippocampal rhythms observed in vivo are the result of a complex interplay between cellular and synaptic properties within the hippocampus, and extra-hippocampal tonic as well as periodic inputs. For the stable rhythm to occur, the hippocampal circuitry should have the potential to oscillate at the specific frequencies. The in vitro studies revealed multiple mechanisms supporting the generation of the theta rhythm, which is the main operational mode of the hippocampus. In the hippocampus and related structures cellular membranes can oscillate at theta rhythm when they are depolarized to near-threshold membrane potentials; membranes are also adjusted to resonate with the external signal applied at theta frequency. Synaptically connected hippocampal network alone can generate theta rhythm when a necessary tonic excitation is provided. Finally, rhythmic inputs in theta range from the septum and entorhinal cortex have a propensity to synchronize oscillations in the whole hippocampal formation and associated structures to operate in a unified mode of activity. Based on the results obtained in slices and slice cultures, the present review shows this multilevel hierarchy, which serves to guarantee easy occurrence and reliable maintenance of the theta rhythm in the hippocampus.

Cell Membrane↗

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[Neurogenesis in the mature olfactory bulb and it's possible functional destination].

This review is concerned with neurogenesis in the mature mammalian brain with emphasis on cell population renewal in the olfactory bulb (OB). The structural and functional features of the OB are considered along with data on neurotropic viruses and toxic dust penetration into the CNS through the OB. We hypothesize a protective role of neurogenesis in the mature OB. This suggests that normal renewal of cell populations in the OB is an important barrier mechanism protecting the brain from invasion of small amounts of harmful neurotropic agents (ex. viruses and particles of toxic dust), which can cause various neurodegenerative diseases.

Animals↗

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[Degree of homogeneity of the forms of statistical relationship between the EEG and spike currents of neurons].

The correlation between the spike activity and the waves of surface ECoG was studied in the visual and motor cortex of alert non-immobilized rabbits. A comparison was made between the forms of the obtained correlation functions for the cells with different horizontal and vertical distances between them. The analysis revealed the similarity of such functions in neurones of V-VI cortical layers, situated vertically under each other along the microelectrode track. Similar in form statistic connections between the ECoG and the background spike activity were also found, beginning with the depth of 1.000 mc, in the neurones situated at the same horizontal cortical level; however, with the increased distance between the cells the degree of similarity of these connections decreases in a non-linear way. On the basis of the obtained data a conclusion is made that the tangential sizes of the background functional ensembles of the cortical neurones are within the range of 140-300 mc.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[EEG correlation and cortical neurons spike activity during elaboration of a defensive conditioned reflex].

Elaboration of electro-defensive conditioned reflex to light in rabbits has shown, that the values of summary cross-correlation coefficients between EEG and impulse activity of cortical neurones do not change significantly as compared to the control. In these conditions does not change either the part of the neurones that have a significant correlation of their impulse discharges with any configuration of the EEG wave. During 6--10 days of conditioning there occurs a decrease in the amplitudes of both positive and negative EEG oscillations, connected with unit discharges in the neocortex. An EEG quantum has being recorded, i. e. a depolarization potential, directly connected with the generation of spikes by the studied nervous elements.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Comparative analysis of forms of statistical relationship between the background spike activity of cortical neurons and the EEG in different functional states of the brain].

The types and values of statistic dependence between extracellularly recorded background spike activity of cortical neurones and EEG oscillations were studied in chronic experiments on intact alert rabbits. It was shown that the relative number of neurones with discharges significantly connected with EEG slow components, remains practically the same in different functional states of the brain and amounts to about 80%. The mean level of the studied dependence changes following transitions from one state to another:it is lowered during the extinction of orienting reaction and continues to go down during the elaboration of the conditioned reflex.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Autocorrelation analysis of background spiking of cortical neurons during learning].

In defensive conditioning of rabbits to light the pattern of the background spike activity (BSA) in the visual cortex did not change in average as compared to the control. In the sensorimotor cortex the spike activity pattern was changed: the afterdischarge inhibition increased. Cells with a regular component in BSA divided into two groups according to the duration of bursts and of inhibitory pauses in the BSA. In the course of conditionings, the number of neurones with non-random components in BSA in the sensorimotor area did not change, while it decreased in the visual area due to a reduction in number of elements with short groups of discharges.

Action Potentials↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Interaction of cortical neurons displaying background activity during elaboration of a conditioned defense reflex].

The character of statistic connection between the background spike activity of neurones in the visual and sensorimotor cortical areas was studied in calm awake rabbits and in the course of defensive conditioning to light. The obtained cross-correlation functions showed that in the process of establishment of temporary connection, there was a decline in the correlation level between discharges of neighbouring neurones in both areas and a rise in correlation between discharges of remote neurones, one of which was located in the visual area and the other--in the sensorimotor area.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Interrelationships between the background impulse activity of cortical neurons and the EEG].

Spike activity of cortical units and EEG on the surface of the cortex near the microelectrode were recorded simultaneously in alert non-immobilized rabbits. The technique of synchronous summation used in the data processing has revealed a statistically significant interrelation between background spike activity of the cortical units and the surface biopotentials. A predominant tendency was revealed toward generation of a spike during the maximal surface-positive deviation of slow biopotentials. The average level of cross-correlation between the spike and slow processes in the background has a magnitude of the order of +/- 10(-2), while individual cross correlation coefficients attain the magnitude of 10-1.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The reactions of the cortical neurons to the microiontophoretic delivery of acetylcholine to their dendrites].

In slices of parietal cortex of a guinea pig spike reactions were studied induced in neurons by iontophoretical applications of acetylcholine to their somata and dendrites. The results were obtained from 128 units. When applied to different sites of the neuronal membrane acetylcholine produced an increase in firing activity nearly in the same percent of cases (50-75%). The reactions to acetylcholine were most typical for spontaneously active neurons. The slow onset (to 8 sec) and long duration (to 25 sec) of responses evoked by acetylcholine point to an involvement of muscarinic receptors. Spike responses evoked by acetylcholine application to soma and dendrites were of the same latencies and magnitude. The most distant dendritic site where the acetylcholine excitation was able to evoke response of the soma was separated from it by 300-400 mcm. It is suggested that acetylcholine excitation propagates from dendritic points to the soma with intracellular biochemical processes.

Acetylcholine↗