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Lateral competition for cortical space by layer-specific horizontal circuits

Author

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  • Hillel Adesnik

    (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0634, USA)

  • Massimo Scanziani

    (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0634, USA)

Abstract

The cerebral cortex constructs a coherent representation of the world by integrating distinct features of the sensory environment. Although these features are processed vertically across cortical layers, horizontal projections interconnecting neighbouring cortical domains allow these features to be processed in a context-dependent manner. Despite the wealth of physiological and psychophysical studies addressing the function of horizontal projections, how they coordinate activity among cortical domains remains poorly understood. We addressed this question by selectively activating horizontal projection neurons in mouse somatosensory cortex, and determined how the resulting spatial pattern of excitation and inhibition affects cortical activity. We found that horizontal projections suppress superficial layers while simultaneously activating deeper cortical output layers. This layer-specific modulation does not result from a spatial separation of excitation and inhibition, but from a layer-specific ratio between these two opposing conductances. Through this mechanism, cortical domains exploit horizontal projections to compete for cortical space.

Suggested Citation

  • Hillel Adesnik & Massimo Scanziani, 2010. "Lateral competition for cortical space by layer-specific horizontal circuits," Nature, Nature, vol. 464(7292), pages 1155-1160, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:464:y:2010:i:7292:d:10.1038_nature08935
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08935
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    Cited by:

    1. Dimitri Yatsenko & Krešimir Josić & Alexander S Ecker & Emmanouil Froudarakis & R James Cotton & Andreas S Tolias, 2015. "Improved Estimation and Interpretation of Correlations in Neural Circuits," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(3), pages 1-28, March.
    2. Christopher Ebsch & Robert Rosenbaum, 2018. "Imbalanced amplification: A mechanism of amplification and suppression from local imbalance of excitation and inhibition in cortical circuits," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(3), pages 1-28, March.

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