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Correlated activity of cortical neurons survives extensive removal of feedforward sensory input

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Michael SchmidORCiD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).


Abstract

A fundamental property of brain function is that the spiking activity of cortical neurons is variable and that some of this variability is correlated between neurons. Correlated activity not due to the stimulus arises from shared input but the neuronal circuit mechanisms that result in these noise correlations are not fully understood. Here we tested in the visual system if correlated variability in mid-level area V4 of visual cortex is altered following extensive lesions of primary visual cortex (V1). To this end we recorded longitudinally the neuronal correlations in area V4 of two behaving macaque monkeys before and after a V1 lesion while the monkeys fixated a grey screen. We found that the correlations of neuronal activity survived the lesions in both monkeys. In one monkey, the correlation of multi-unit spiking signals was strongly increased in the first week post-lesion, while in the second monkey, correlated activity was slightly increased, but not greater than some week-by-week fluctuations observed. The typical dropoff of inter-neuronal correlations with cortical distance was preserved after the lesion. Therefore, as V4 noise correlations remain without feedforward input from V1, these results suggest instead that local and/or feedback input seem to be necessary for correlated activity.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Shapcott KA, Schmiedt JT, Saunders RC, Maier A, Leopold DA, Schmid MC

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Scientific Reports

Year: 2016

Volume: 6

Online publication date: 10/10/2016

Acceptance date: 19/09/2016

Date deposited: 23/11/2016

ISSN (electronic): 2045-2322

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep34886

DOI: 10.1038/srep34886


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Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Mental Health
Whitehall Foundation
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
IMPRS for Neural Circuits
Knights Templar Eye Foundation
Schm 2806/1-1Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Emmy Noether grant

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