A θ-γ oscillation code for neuronal coordination during motor behavior

J Neurosci. 2013 Nov 20;33(47):18515-30. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2126-13.2013.

Abstract

Sequential motor behavior requires a progression of discrete preparation and execution states. However, the organization of state-dependent activity in neuronal ensembles of motor cortex is poorly understood. Here, we recorded neuronal spiking and local field potential activity from rat motor cortex during reward-motivated movement and observed robust behavioral state-dependent coordination between neuronal spiking, γ oscillations, and θ oscillations. Slow and fast γ oscillations appeared during distinct movement states and entrained neuronal firing. γ oscillations, in turn, were coupled to θ oscillations, and neurons encoding different behavioral states fired at distinct phases of θ in a highly layer-dependent manner. These findings indicate that θ and nested dual band γ oscillations serve as the temporal structure for the selection of a conserved set of functional channels in motor cortical layer activity during animal movement. Furthermore, these results also suggest that cross-frequency couplings between oscillatory neuronal ensemble activities are part of the general coding mechanism in cortex.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials / physiology*
  • Animals
  • Brain Waves / physiology*
  • Male
  • Motor Cortex / cytology*
  • Motor Cortex / physiology*
  • Movement / physiology*
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Periodicity
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • Rats
  • Rats, Long-Evans
  • Time Factors