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Spontaneous cluster activity in the inferior olivary nucleus in brainstem slices from postnatal mice
Author(s) -
Rekling Jens C.,
Jensen Kristian H. R.,
Jahnsen Henrik
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.222570
Subject(s) - brainstem , inferior olivary nucleus , neuroscience , chemistry , nucleus , biophysics , cerebellum , deep cerebellar nuclei , cerebellar cortex , anatomy , biology
Key points • The cerebellum is organized in modules, where groups of neurons in the inferior olivary nucleus (IO) are connected to elongated bands of Purkinje neurons in the cerebellar cortex; it is still largely unknown what the specific function of these modules is, and how they are formed. • Here we show that IO neurons spontaneously generate clusters of co‐active neurons in in vitro brain slice preparations from newborn mice, in an age window ranging from birth to two weeks old. • Intracellular recordings revealed that electrical coupling between neighbouring IO neurons may contribute to the synchronization. • The dorsomedial cell column, which is a subregion in the IO involved in the control of balance and posture, showed a high frequency of regular repeating clusters compared to the rest of the IO, suggesting that this system may be on a fast developmental track. • These results increase our understanding of how the circuitry of the cerebellar system develops in the early postnatal period, where animals acquire the ability to produce finely controlled motor acts.