부산대학교 도서관

Organized neuronal activity underlies brain functioning. Both information processing and transmission between cortical structures occur due to synchronized neuronal activity. In the awake state, one of the mechanisms contributing to integration and synchronization of cortical activity between functionally linked parts of the central nervous system is sensory input. The state of deep anesthesia or deep sleep is also characterized by the presence of organized neural activity—slow oscillations (SO). However, under these states, the central nervous system is considered to be sensory deprived. While SOs have a high level of synchronization between different cortical areas, little is known about the mechanisms that coordinate MOs during sleep or anesthesia. Using methods of electrophysiological recording of neocortex activity in a in vivo model, we show that during deep anesthesia, SOs in different parts of the neocortex are synchronized by breathing. Despite the different frequencies of SOs and breathing, we found a phase-lock of episodes of cortical activity to breathing. The highest probability of periods of cortical activity is observed during the exhalation phase of the anesthetized animal, while the inhalation is accompanied by a decrease in cortical activity. Our results, show that breath plays the role of a driver of the rhythm of cortical activity at a time when the neocortex is restricted in receive of an external synchronizing stimulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]