US-Israel Research Proposal: Network resonance: revealing the neuronal mechanisms

Revealing the neuronal mechanisms underlying network resonance

Neuronal networks consist of a wide array of cells types, each having a distinct morphology and functionality. Neurons communicate among them through complex voltage signaling mechanisms called spikes, which may or may not exhibit regular behavior. Yet, from chaos rises structure: neuronal networks are able to exhibit periodic oscillations emerging from their collective spiking activity. Prominent among these are theta band (4-10 Hz) oscillations, which are believed to form a temporal framework for information processing and transmission. How these oscillations emerge is still an open question. Studies in reduced preparations show that the so-called principal cells exhibit a preference for theta frequency subthreshold oscillatory activity (resonance) when they are forced with periodic inputs. The might suggest that the network theta oscillations are “inherited” from this resonance. However, we have recently found that in behaving animals, the resonance observed at the network level requires the interaction between single-neuron and circuit properties in ways that are more complex than previously thought. In this proposal, we will study the mechanisms underlying network resonance using a two-pronged approach: the US team will carry out detailed computational modeling, and the Israel team will perform experiments with behaving mice. This work is expected to generate a framework for describing and understanding network resonance and lay mechanistic foundations for understanding brain oscillations.