Infraslow (<0.1 Hz) oscillations in thalamic relay nuclei basic mechanisms and significance to health and disease states

Stuart W. Hughes, Magor L. Lörincz, H Rheinallt Parri, Vincenzo Crunelli

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

Abstract

In the absence of external stimuli, the mammalian brain continues to display a rich variety of spontaneous activity. Such activity is often highly stereotypical, is invariably rhythmic, and can occur with periodicities ranging from a few milliseconds to several minutes. Recently, there has been a particular resurgence of interest in fluctuations in brain activity occurring at <0.1 Hz, commonly referred to as very slow or infraslow oscillations (ISOs). Whilst this is primarily due to the emergence of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as a technique which has revolutionized the study of human brain dynamics, it is also a consequence of the application of full band electroencephalography (fbEEG). Despite these technical advances, the precise mechanisms which lead to ISOs in the brain remain unclear. In a host of animal studies, one brain region that consistently shows oscillations at <0.1 Hz is the thalamus. Importantly, similar oscillations can also be observed in slices of isolated thalamic relay nuclei maintained in vitro. Here, we discuss the nature and mechanisms of these oscillations, paying particular attention to a potential role for astrocytes in their genesis. We also highlight the relationship between this activity and ongoing local network oscillations in the alpha (a; ~8-13 Hz) band, drawing clear parallels with observations made in vivo. Last, we consider the relevance of these thalamic ISOs to the pathological activity that occurs in certain types of epilepsy.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)145-162
Number of pages18
JournalProgress in Brain Research
Volume193
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Aug 2011

Bibliographical note

© 2011, Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Keywords

  • animals
  • astrocytes
  • calcium
  • electroencephalography
  • epilepsy
  • humans
  • magnetic resonance imaging
  • neural pathways
  • neurons
  • periodicity
  • thalamic nuclei
  • acetylcholine
  • metabotropic glutamate
  • EEG
  • gap junctions
  • alpha rhythm
  • adenosine
  • GIRK channels

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