Dataset Information

Investigating the impact of electrical stimulation temporal distribution on cortical network responses.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The brain is continuously targeted by a wealth of stimuli with complex spatio-temporal patterns and has presumably evolved in order to cope with those inputs in an optimal way. Previous studies investigating the response capabilities of either single neurons or intact sensory systems to external stimulation demonstrated that stimuli temporal distribution is an important, if often overlooked, parameter.

Results

In this study we investigated how cortical networks plated over micro-electrode arrays respond to different stimulation sequences in which inter-pulse intervals followed a 1/f ^? distribution, for different values of ? ranging from 0 to ?. Cross-correlation analysis revealed that network activity preferentially synchronizes with external input sequences featuring ? closer to 1 and, in any case, never for regular (i.e. fixed-frequency) stimulation sequences. We then tested the interplay between different average stimulation frequencies (based on the intrinsic firing/bursting frequency of the network) for two selected values of ?, i.e. 1 (scale free) and ? (regular). In general, we observed no preference for stimulation frequencies matching the endogenous rhythms of the network. Moreover, we found that in case of regular stimulation the capability of the network to follow the stimulation sequence was negatively correlated to the absolute stimulation frequency, whereas using scale-free stimulation cross-correlation between input and output sequences was independent from average input frequency.

Conclusions

Our results point out that the preference for a scale-free distribution of the stimuli is observed also at network level and should be taken into account in designing more efficient protocols for neuromodulation purposes.

SUBMITTER: Scarsi F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5469148 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Investigating the impact of electrical stimulation temporal distribution on cortical network responses.

Scarsi Francesca F Tessadori Jacopo J Chiappalone Michela M Pasquale Valentina V

BMC neuroscience 20170612 1

<h4>Background</h4>The brain is continuously targeted by a wealth of stimuli with complex spatio-temporal patterns and has presumably evolved in order to cope with those inputs in an optimal way. Previous studies investigating the response capabilities of either single neurons or intact sensory systems to external stimulation demonstrated that stimuli temporal distribution is an important, if often overlooked, parameter.<h4>Results</h4>In this study we investigated how cortical networks plated o ...[more]

PMID: 28606117

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Project description:Patterns of responses in the cerebral cortex can vary, and are influenced by pre-existing cortical function, but it is not known how rapidly these variations can occur in humans. We investigated how rapidly response patterns to electrical stimulation can vary in intact human brain. We also investigated whether the type of functional change occurring at a given location with stimulation would help predict the distribution of responses elsewhere over the cortex to stimulation at that given location. We did this by studying cortical afterdischarges following electrical stimulation of the cortex in awake humans undergoing evaluations for brain surgery. Response occurrence and location could change within seconds, both nearby to and distant from stimulation sites. Responses might occur at a given location during one trial but not the next. They could occur at electrodes adjacent or not adjacent to those directly stimulated or to other electrodes showing afterdischarges. The likelihood of an afterdischarge at an individual site after stimulation was predicted by spontaneous electroencephalographic activity at that specific site just prior to stimulation, but not by overall cortical activity. When stimulation at a site interrupted motor, sensory or language function, afterdischarges were more likely to occur at other sites where stimulation interrupted similar functions. These results show that widespread dynamic changes in cortical responses can occur in intact cortex within short periods of time, and that the distribution of these responses depends on local brain states and functional brain architecture at the time of stimulation. Similar rapid variations may occur during normal intracortical communication and may underlie changes in the cortical organization of function. Possibly these variations, and the occurrence and distribution of responses to cortical stimulation, could be predicted. If so, interventions such as stimulation might be used to alter spread of epileptogenic activity, accelerate learning or enhance cortical reorganization after brain injury.

Dataset Information

Investigating the impact of electrical stimulation temporal distribution on cortical network responses.

Background

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Investigating the impact of electrical stimulation temporal distribution on cortical network responses.

Similar Datasets

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