|
|
||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
INVITED REVIEW
1Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York; and 2Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec, Canada
Submitted 15 February 2006; accepted in final form 5 March 2006
ABSTRACT
This article addresses the functional significance of the electrophysiological properties of thalamic neurons. We propose that thalamocortical activity, is the product of the intrinsic electrical properties of the thalamocortical (TC) neurons and the connectivity their axons weave. We begin with an overview of the electrophysiological properties of single neurons in different functional states, followed by a review of the phylogeny of the electrical properties of thalamic neurons, in several vertebrate species. The similarity in electrophysiological properties unambiguously indicates that the thalamocortical system must be as ancient as the vertebrate branch itself. We address the view that rather than simply relays, thalamic neurons have sui generis intrinsic electrical properties that govern their specific functional dynamics and regulate natural functional states such as sleep and vigilance. In addition, thalamocortical activity has been shown to be involved in the genesis of several neuropsychiatric conditions collectively described as thalamocortical dysrhythmia syndrome.
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
M. T. Alkire, A. G. Hudetz, and G. Tononi Consciousness and Anesthesia Science, November 7, 2008; 322(5903): 876 - 880. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E. E. Benarroch The midline and intralaminar thalamic nuclei: Anatomic and functional specificity and implications in neurologic disease Neurology, September 16, 2008; 71(12): 944 - 949. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. Bessaih, N. Leresche, and R. C. Lambert T current potentiation increases the occurrence and temporal fidelity of synaptically evoked burst firing in sensory thalamic neurons PNAS, August 12, 2008; 105(32): 11376 - 11381. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R Vetrugno, I Arnulf, and P Montagna Disappearance of "phantom limb" and amputated arm usage during dreaming in REM sleep behaviour disorder J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, April 1, 2008; 79(4): 481 - 483. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E. G. Jones Calcium channels in higher-level brain function PNAS, November 13, 2007; 104(46): 17903 - 17904. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. R. Llinas, S. Choi, F. J. Urbano, and H.-S. Shin {gamma}-Band deficiency and abnormal thalamocortical activity in P/Q-type channel mutant mice PNAS, November 6, 2007; 104(45): 17819 - 17824. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. E. Hammack, I. Mania, and D. G. Rainnie Differential Expression of Intrinsic Membrane Currents in Defined Cell Types of the Anterolateral Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis J Neurophysiol, August 1, 2007; 98(2): 638 - 656. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Massimini, F. Ferrarelli, S. K. Esser, B. A. Riedner, R. Huber, M. Murphy, M. J. Peterson, and G. Tononi Triggering sleep slow waves by transcranial magnetic stimulation PNAS, May 15, 2007; 104(20): 8496 - 8501. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. J. Lacey, J. P. Bolam, and P. J. Magill Novel and Distinct Operational Principles of Intralaminar Thalamic Neurons and Their Striatal Projections J. Neurosci., April 18, 2007; 27(16): 4374 - 4384. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. P. Bright, M. I. Aller, and S. G. Brickley Synaptic Release Generates a Tonic GABAA Receptor-Mediated Conductance That Modulates Burst Precision in Thalamic Relay Neurons J. Neurosci., March 7, 2007; 27(10): 2560 - 2569. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. C. Sincich, D. L. Adams, J. R. Economides, and J. C. Horton Transmission of Spike Trains at the Retinogeniculate Synapse J. Neurosci., March 7, 2007; 27(10): 2683 - 2692. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. T. Paz, M. Chavez, S. Saillet, J.-M. Deniau, and S. Charpier Activity of Ventral Medial Thalamic Neurons during Absence Seizures and Modulation of Cortical Paroxysms by the Nigrothalamic Pathway J. Neurosci., January 24, 2007; 27(4): 929 - 941. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. Sarnthein and D. Jeanmonod High Thalamocortical Theta Coherence in Patients with Parkinson's Disease J. Neurosci., January 3, 2007; 27(1): 124 - 131. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. Chandra, F. Jia, J. Liang, Z. Peng, A. Suryanarayanan, D. F. Werner, I. Spigelman, C. R. Houser, R. W. Olsen, N. L. Harrison, et al. GABAA receptor {alpha}4 subunits mediate extrasynaptic inhibition in thalamus and dentate gyrus and the action of gaboxadol PNAS, October 10, 2006; 103(41): 15230 - 15235. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. Destexhe and D. Contreras Neuronal computations with stochastic network states. Science, October 6, 2006; 314(5796): 85 - 90. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Visit Other APS Journals Online |