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An analysis of the transitions between down and up states of the cortical slow oscillation under urethane anaesthesia

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Abstract

We study the dynamics of the transition between the low- and high-firing states of the cortical slow oscillation by using intracellular recordings of the membrane potential from cortical neurons of rats. We investigate the evidence for a bistability in assemblies of cortical neurons playing a major role in the maintenance of this oscillation. We show that the trajectory of a typical transition takes an approximately exponential form, equivalent to the response of a resistor–capacitor circuit to a step-change in input. The time constant for the transition is negatively correlated with the membrane potential of the low-firing state, and values are broadly equivalent to neural time constants measured elsewhere. Overall, the results do not strongly support the hypothesis of a bistability in cortical neurons; rather, they suggest the cortical manifestation of the oscillation is a result of a step-change in input to the cortical neurons. Since there is evidence from previous work that a phase transition exists, we speculate that the step-change may be a result of a bistability within other brain areas, such as the thalamus, or a bistability among only a small subset of cortical neurons, or as a result of more complicated brain dynamics.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Peter Robinson of the University of Sydney for helpful discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Engineering, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand

    Marcus T. Wilson, William P. Crump, D. Alistair Steyn-Ross & Moira L. Steyn-Ross

  2. Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand

    Melissa Barry & John N. J. Reynolds

  3. Waikato Clinical School, University of Auckland, Waikato Hospital, Hamilton, 3204, New Zealand

    James W. Sleigh

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  1. Marcus T. Wilson
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  2. Melissa Barry
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  3. John N. J. Reynolds
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  5. D. Alistair Steyn-Ross
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  6. Moira L. Steyn-Ross
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Correspondence to Marcus T. Wilson.

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Wilson, M.T., Barry, M., Reynolds, J.N.J. et al. An analysis of the transitions between down and up states of the cortical slow oscillation under urethane anaesthesia. J Biol Phys 36, 245–259 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10867-009-9180-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10867-009-9180-x

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