Abstract
Early in development, cortical networks generate particular patterns of activity that participate in cortical development. The dominant pattern of electrical activity in the neonatal rat neocortex in vivo is a spatially confined spindle-burst. Here, we studied network mechanisms of generation of spindle-bursts in the barrel cortex of neonatal rats using a superfused cortex preparation in vivo. Both spontaneous and sensory-evoked spindle-bursts were present in the superfused barrel cortex. Pharmacological analysis revealed that spindle-bursts are driven by glutamatergic synapses with a major contribution of AMPA/kainate receptors, but slight participation of NMDA receptors and gap junctions. Although GABAergic synapses contributed minimally to the pacing the rhythm of spindle-burst oscillations, surround GABAergic inhibition appeared to be crucial for their compartmentalization. We propose that local spindle-burst oscillations, driven by glutamatergic synapses and spatially confined by GABAergic synapses, contribute to the development of barrel cortex during the critical period of developmental plasticity.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Action Potentials / drug effects
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Action Potentials / physiology*
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Afferent Pathways / drug effects
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Afferent Pathways / growth & development*
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Animals
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Animals, Newborn
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Biological Clocks / drug effects
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Biological Clocks / physiology*
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Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / pharmacology
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Female
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GABA Antagonists / pharmacology
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GABA-A Receptor Antagonists
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Glutamic Acid / metabolism
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Interneurons / drug effects
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Interneurons / metabolism
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Male
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Nerve Net / drug effects
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Nerve Net / growth & development
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Neural Inhibition / drug effects
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Neural Inhibition / physiology
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Neuronal Plasticity / drug effects
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Neuronal Plasticity / physiology
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Neurons, Afferent / drug effects
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Neurons, Afferent / physiology*
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Rats
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Rats, Wistar
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Receptors, AMPA / metabolism
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Receptors, GABA-A / metabolism
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Somatosensory Cortex / drug effects
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Somatosensory Cortex / growth & development*
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Synaptic Transmission / drug effects
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Synaptic Transmission / physiology
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Trigeminal Nerve / drug effects
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Trigeminal Nerve / growth & development
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Vibrissae / physiology*
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gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / metabolism
Substances
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Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists
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GABA Antagonists
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GABA-A Receptor Antagonists
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Receptors, AMPA
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Receptors, GABA-A
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Glutamic Acid
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gamma-Aminobutyric Acid