Neural synchrony in cortical networks : history, concept and current status

  • Following the discovery of context-dependent synchronization of oscillatory neuronal responses in the visual system, the role of neural synchrony in cortical networks has been expanded to provide a general mechanism for the coordination of distributed neural activity patterns. In the current paper, we present an update of the status of this hypothesis through summarizing recent results from our laboratory that suggest important new insights regarding the mechanisms, function and relevance of this phenomenon. In the first part, we present recent results derived from animal experiments and mathematical simulations that provide novel explanations and mechanisms for zero and nero-zero phase lag synchronization. In the second part, we shall discuss the role of neural synchrony for expectancy during perceptual organization and its role in conscious experience. This will be followed by evidence that indicates that in addition to supporting conscious cognition, neural synchrony is abnormal in major brain disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. We conclude this paper with suggestions for further research as well as with critical issues that need to be addressed in future studies.

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Metadaten
Author:Peter J. UhlhaasORCiDGND, Gordon PipaORCiDGND, Bruss Lima, Lucia MelloniORCiD, Sergio NeuenschwanderORCiD, Danko NikolićORCiDGND, Wolf SingerORCiDGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-272671
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3389/neuro.07.017.2009
ISSN:1662-5145
Pubmed Id:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19668703
Parent Title (English):Frontiers in integrative neuroscience
Publisher:Frontiers Research Foundation
Place of publication:Lausanne
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2009/07/30
Date of first Publication:2009/07/30
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2012/10/18
Tag:cognition; cortex; gamma; oscillations; synchrony
Volume:3
Issue:Article 17
Page Number:19
Note:
Copyright: © 2009 Uhlhaas, Pipa, Lima, Melloni, Neuenschwander, Nikolić and Singer. This is an open-access article subject to an exclusive license agreement between the authors and the Frontiers Research Foundation, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original authors and source are credited.
HeBIS-PPN:358404460
Institutes:Medizin / Medizin
Wissenschaftliche Zentren und koordinierte Programme / Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS)
Dewey Decimal Classification:6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
Sammlungen:Universitätspublikationen
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - Namensnennung 2.0