Dense gap-junction connections support dynamic Turing structures in the cortex

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dc.contributor.authorSteyn-Ross, D. Alistair
dc.contributor.authorSteyn-Ross, Moira L.
dc.contributor.authorWilson, Marcus T.
dc.contributor.authorSleigh, James W.
dc.date.accessioned2008-11-06T01:30:50Z
dc.date.available2008-11-06T01:30:50Z
dc.date.issued2007-07
dc.description.abstractThe recent report by Fukuda et al [1] provides convincing evidence for dense gap-junction connectivity between inhibitory neurons in the cat visual cortex, each neuron making 60 +/- 12 gap-junction dendritic connections with neurons in both the same and adjoining orientation columns. These resistive connections provide a source of diffusive current to the receiving neuron, supplementing the chemical-synaptic currents generated by incoming action-potential spike activity. Fukuda et al describe how the gap junctions form a dense and homogeneous electrical coupling of interneurons, and propose that this diffusion-coupled network provides the substrate for synchronization of neuronal populations. To date, large-scale population-based mathematical models of the cortex have ignored diffusive communication between neurons. Here we augment a well-established mean-field cortical model [2] by incorporating gap-junction-mediated diffusion currents, and we investigate the implications of strong diffusive coupling. The significant result is the model prediction that the 2D cortex can spontaneously generate centimetre-scale Turing structures (spatial patterns), in which regions of high-firing activity are intermixed with regions of low-firing activity (see Fig. 1). Since coupling strength decreases with increases in firing rate, these patterns are expected to exchange contrast on a slow time-scale, with low-firing patches increasing their activity at the expense of high-firing patches. These theoretical predictions are consistent with the slowly fluctuating large-scale brain-activity images detected from the BOLD (blood oxygen-level-dependent) signal [3].
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dc.identifier.citationSteyn-Ross, D. A., Steyn-Ross, M., Wilson, M. & Sleigh, J. (2007). Dense gap-junction connections support dynamic Turing structures in the cortex. BMC Neuroscience, 8(Suppl 2):S2.en_US
dc.identifier.doi10.1186/1471-2202-8-S2-S2en_US
dc.identifier.issn1471-2202
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10289/1282
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherBioMed Central Ltden_NZ
dc.relation.isPartOfBMC Neuroscienceen_NZ
dc.rightsThis article has been published in the journal: BMC Neuroscience. Copyright © 2007 Steyn-Ross et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.en_US
dc.titleDense gap-junction connections support dynamic Turing structures in the cortexen_US
dc.typeJournal Articleen_US
pubs.begin-page1en_NZ
pubs.elements-id33606
pubs.end-page2en_NZ
pubs.issue(Suppl 2):S2en_NZ
pubs.volume8en_NZ
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