Noise promotes independent control of gamma oscillations and grid firing within recurrent attractor networks

Neural computations underlying cognitive functions require calibration of the strength of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic connections and are associated with modulation of gamma frequency oscillations in network activity. However, principles relating gamma oscillations, synaptic strength and circ...

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Main Authors: Solanka, Lukas, van Rossum, Mark C.W., Nolan, Matthew F.
Format: Article
Published: eLife Science Publications 2015
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49631/
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author Solanka, Lukas
van Rossum, Mark C.W.
Nolan, Matthew F.
author_facet Solanka, Lukas
van Rossum, Mark C.W.
Nolan, Matthew F.
author_sort Solanka, Lukas
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Neural computations underlying cognitive functions require calibration of the strength of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic connections and are associated with modulation of gamma frequency oscillations in network activity. However, principles relating gamma oscillations, synaptic strength and circuit computations are unclear. We address this in attractor network models that account for grid firing and theta-nested gamma oscillations in the medial entorhinal cortex. We show that moderate intrinsic noise massively increases the range of synaptic strengths supporting gamma oscillations and grid computation. With moderate noise, variation in excitatory or inhibitory synaptic strength tunes the amplitude and frequency of gamma activity without disrupting grid firing. This beneficial role for noise results from disruption of epileptic-like network states. Thus, moderate noise promotes independent control of multiplexed firing rate- and gamma-based computational mechanisms. Our results have implications for tuning of normal circuit function and for disorders associated with changes in gamma oscillations and synaptic strength.
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spelling nottingham-496312020-05-04T17:13:40Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49631/ Noise promotes independent control of gamma oscillations and grid firing within recurrent attractor networks Solanka, Lukas van Rossum, Mark C.W. Nolan, Matthew F. Neural computations underlying cognitive functions require calibration of the strength of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic connections and are associated with modulation of gamma frequency oscillations in network activity. However, principles relating gamma oscillations, synaptic strength and circuit computations are unclear. We address this in attractor network models that account for grid firing and theta-nested gamma oscillations in the medial entorhinal cortex. We show that moderate intrinsic noise massively increases the range of synaptic strengths supporting gamma oscillations and grid computation. With moderate noise, variation in excitatory or inhibitory synaptic strength tunes the amplitude and frequency of gamma activity without disrupting grid firing. This beneficial role for noise results from disruption of epileptic-like network states. Thus, moderate noise promotes independent control of multiplexed firing rate- and gamma-based computational mechanisms. Our results have implications for tuning of normal circuit function and for disorders associated with changes in gamma oscillations and synaptic strength. eLife Science Publications 2015-07-06 Article PeerReviewed Solanka, Lukas, van Rossum, Mark C.W. and Nolan, Matthew F. (2015) Noise promotes independent control of gamma oscillations and grid firing within recurrent attractor networks. eLife, 4 . e06444. ISSN 2050-084X https://elifesciences.org/articles/06444 doi:10.7554/eLife.06444 doi:10.7554/eLife.06444
spellingShingle Solanka, Lukas
van Rossum, Mark C.W.
Nolan, Matthew F.
Noise promotes independent control of gamma oscillations and grid firing within recurrent attractor networks
title Noise promotes independent control of gamma oscillations and grid firing within recurrent attractor networks
title_full Noise promotes independent control of gamma oscillations and grid firing within recurrent attractor networks
title_fullStr Noise promotes independent control of gamma oscillations and grid firing within recurrent attractor networks
title_full_unstemmed Noise promotes independent control of gamma oscillations and grid firing within recurrent attractor networks
title_short Noise promotes independent control of gamma oscillations and grid firing within recurrent attractor networks
title_sort noise promotes independent control of gamma oscillations and grid firing within recurrent attractor networks
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49631/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49631/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49631/