Faculty Bibliography

The giant fiber system controlling mantle contraction used for jet propulsion in squid consists of two sets of three giant neurons organized in tandem. The somata of the 1st- and 2nd-order giant cells are located in the brain, while the perikarya of the 3rd-order giant cells are encountered in the stellate ganglia of the mantle. The somata and dendrites of one fused pair of 1st-order giant cells are thought to receive synaptic input from the eye, statocyst, skin proprioceptors, and supraesophageal lobes. To define the cellular properties for integration of such an extensive synaptic load, especially given its diversity, intracellular recordings and electron microscopic observations were performed on 1st-order giant cells in an isolated head preparation. Spontaneous bursts of action potentials and spikes evoked by extracellular stimulation of the brachial lobe were sensitive to the Na+ channel blocker TTX. Action potentials were also abolished by recording with microelectrodes containing the membrane impermeant, use dependent Na+ channel blocker QX-314. The small action potential amplitude and the abundant synaptic input imply that the spike initiation zone is remotely located from the recording site. The high spontaneous activity in the isolated head preparation, as well as the presence of synaptic junctions resembling inhibitory synapses, suggest; that afferent synapses on 1st-order giant neurons might represent the inhibitory control of the giant fiber system. The characterization of the electroresponsive properties of the 1st-order giant neurons will provide a description of the single cell integrative properties that trigger the rapid jet propulsion necessary for escape behavior in squid

Mathematical analysis of the subthreshold oscillatory properties of inferior olivary neurons in vitro indicates that the oscillation is nonlinear and supports low dimensional chaotic dynamics. This property leads to the generation of complex functional states that can be attained rapidly via phase coherence that conform to the category of 'generalized synchronization.' Functionally, this translates into neuronal ensemble properties that can support maximum functional permissiveness and that rapidly can transform into robustly determined multicellular coherence

The clinically described 'persistent vegetative state' (PVS), consists of wakefulness unaccompanied by any evidence of the subject's awareness of self or environment. Past studies from our own and other laboratories have used positron emission tomography (PET) to study brain metabolism in approximately 20 such patients during wakeful periods. All those efforts identified global cerebral glucose metabolism at or below levels encountered during deep barbiturate anaesthesia. Nevertheless, the clinical literature includes rare reports of relatively isolated cognitive functions expressed by PVS patients late in their course. The observation raises the question of whether such activity reflects awareness or unconscious automatic behaviour. We employed magnetometry (MEG), PET scanning, MR imaging and 24-hour EEG recordings to evaluate three patients clinically vegetative between six months and 20 years after onset. Neither meticulous clinical examinations nor 24-hour EEG and video monitoring provided any hint of cognitive interaction in any subject. Nevertheless, patient 1 uttered single words once every 48 hours or more; patient 2 frequently expressed coordinated, non-purposeful, non-dystonic movements in arms and/or legs; and, patient 3 expressed strong emotional negativity without motor responses to noxious stimuli with occasional quieting in response to prosodic stimuli. All patients had whole-brain averaged global metabolism levels below 50% of normal. Patient 1, however, demonstrated preserved islands of increased metabolism in the posterior frontal and posterior temporal lobes, as well as MEG activations of Heschl's gyrus all located in the left hemisphere. In patient 2, selected increased metabolism was confined to the frontal poles and related subcortical structures. MRI in patient 3 demonstrated severe, bilateral post-traumatic cerebral atrophy. PET metabolism was diffusely reduced to 40% of normal but MEG evoked potentials indicated early and late sensory processing with abnormal later evoked components. The correlation of fragmentary behaviour with preserved metabolic and physiologic activity in cortical and subcortical regions known to support specific modular functions is novel. The finding demonstrates the capacity of severely damaged brains to partially express surviving modular functions without evidence of integrative processes that would be necessary to produce consciousness. We conclude that the mere expression of isolated neuropsychologic activity by isolated modules is insufficient to generate consciousness in overwhelmingly damaged brains

Intracellular recordings obtained from globus pallidus neurons in guinea pig revealed, on the basis of their membrane properties, the existence of at least two major (types I and II) and one minor (type III) groups of neurons. Type I neurons were silent at the resting membrane level and generated a burst of spikes with strong accommodation to depolarizing current injection. Type II neurons fired at the resting membrane level or with small membrane depolarization, and their repetitive firing (< or = 200 Hz) was very sensitive to the amplitude of injected current and showed weak accommodation. Type III neurons did not fire spontaneously at the resting membrane level. The neurons were morphologically characterized by intracellular injection of biocytin following the electrophysiological recordings. Among the major groups, the soma size of type I neurons (40 x 23 microns) was larger than that of type II neurons (29 x 17 microns). Both types of neurons had three to six primary dendrites. Dendritic spines were very sparse. Occasionally, dendrites exhibited varicosities, especially in their terminal branches. Dendritic fields were disc-like in shape and were perpendicular to striopallidal fibers. Most of the axons had intranuclear collaterals. Main axonal branches projected rostrally or caudally, and in some neurons one axonal branch could be followed caudally, and another rostrally, into the striatum. These two types were major neurons in the globus pallidus and were considered to be projection neurons. Type III neurons were small (18 x 12 microns), and their dendrites were covered with numerous spines. They were considered to be interneurons

How can information hidden in a spatial configuration of neuronal activity be addressed? The Markov Random Field method for the analysis of the spatial component of a multidimensional neuronal process is introduced and after simulations is applied to experimental data on rat at olivocerebellar activity. Using this method it was determined, for the first time, that the activity demonstrates dynamic coupling and may have different fine spatial substructures. The results obtained support the view that the inferior olive serves as a movement organizing centre that controls motor activity by means of spatially as well as temporally organized patterns of coherent activity.