PPubMed17 Aug 2022Cited 7×

Functional states shape the spatiotemporal representation of local and cortex-wide neural activity in mouse sensory cortex FUNCTIONAL STATES SHAPE CORTEX-WIDE NEURAL ACTIVITY

Miriam Schwalm, Dennis R. Tabuena, Curtis Easton, Thomas J. Richner, Pierre Mourad, Hirofumi Watari, William J. Moody, Albrecht Stroh

Abstract

Functional neural networks undergo constant fluctuations elicited by changes of internally generated activity, even in the absence of external stimulation (1, 2). Alternating states of excitability are associated with changes in global functional condition, as between sleep and wakefulness (3, 4), from inattention to vigilance (5, 6), or from resting to locomotion (7, 8). These changes impact the spatiotemporal organization of ongoing neuronal signals and shape responses upon incoming sensory information on multiple spatial scales (8-10). State-dependent shaping of intrinsic and stimulus-evoke

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Functional brain states dictate how local and cortex-wide neural activity spreads in mouse sensory cortex.

What’s new

i.The study shows that functional states (slow‑wave vs persistent) shape spatiotemporal patterns of neural activity across cortex.
ii.It demonstrates that visual and somatosensory stimuli drive slow‑wave propagation in opposite directions with distinct speeds.
iii.It reveals a refractory period for stimulus‑evoked slow waves, affecting response latency and probability.
iv.It provides a dataset with supplemental videos and figures for the community.

How they did it

Mice were imaged with fiber‑photometry calcium indicators and local field potentials while under various anesthesia protocols to induce slow‑wave activity (SWA) or persistent activity (PA). Sensory stimuli (forepaw electrical pulses and visual cues) were delivered and propagation of calcium and LFP signals was recorded at 2 kHz. Data were analyzed for activation area, propagation delay, cross‑correlation, and spectral power.

What they found

Evoked activation areas were ~23 mm² for both visual (22.8 ± 0.1 mm²) and somatosensory (23.1 ± 0.3 mm²) stimuli (n=6, P<0.001).
Somatosensory‑evoked waves reached V1 after a mean delay of 247 ms (n=74, P=0.009); visual‑evoked waves delayed 445 ms (P<0.001).
90% probability that a stimulus after the refractory period triggered a slow wave within 500 s (n=4).
Spontaneous wave frequency varied from ~10 to 30 waves/min depending on anesthesia depth.
Total power (0.5‑200 Hz) increased in SW state (mean logFC = 2.68 in V1, 2.00 in S1).

Caveats

✕Recording sessions with unclear or varying functional state were excluded, limiting data breadth.
✕The experiments were conducted under anesthesia, which may not fully represent awake brain dynamics.
✕The absolute isoflurane concentration varied across animals, potentially affecting state consistency.

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