Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:

Instantaneous correlation of excitation and inhibition during ongoing and sensory-evoked activities

Nature Neuroscience volume 11, pages 535–537 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Temporal and quantitative relations between excitatory and inhibitory inputs in the cortex are central to its activity, yet they remain poorly understood. In particular, a controversy exists regarding the extent of correlation between cortical excitation and inhibition. Using simultaneous intracellular recordings in pairs of nearby neurons in vivo, we found that excitatory and inhibitory inputs are continuously synchronized and correlated in strength during spontaneous and sensory-evoked activities in the rat somatosensory cortex.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Excitatory and inhibitory synaptic potentials of nearby neurons are synchronized during spontaneous activity.
Figure 2: Inhibition lags behind excitation during spontaneous activity.
Figure 3: The magnitude of excitatory and inhibitory potentials in paired recordings is positively correlated.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chance, F.S., Abbott, L.F. & Reyes, A.D. Neuron 35, 773–782 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Shadlen, M.N. & Newsome, W.T. J. Neurosci. 18, 3870–3896 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Rudolph, M., Pospischil, M., Timofeev, I. & Destexhe, A. J. Neurosci. 27, 5280–5290 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Las, L., Stern, E.A. & Nelken, I. J. Neurosci. 25, 1503–1513 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. DeWeese, M.R. & Zador, A.M. J. Neurosci. 26, 12206–12218 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Crochet, S. & Petersen, C.C. Nat. Neurosci. 9, 608–610 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Wehr, M. & Zador, A.M. Nature 426, 442–446 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gabernet, L., Jadhav, S.P., Feldman, D.E., Carandini, M. & Scanziani, M. Neuron 48, 315–327 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Haider, B., Duque, A., Hasenstaub, A.R. & McCormick, D.A. J. Neurosci. 26, 4535–4545 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Lampl, I., Reichova, I. & Ferster, D. Neuron 22, 361–374 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Petersen, C.C., Hahn, T.T., Mehta, M., Grinvald, A. & Sakmann, B. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100, 13638–13643 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Hasenstaub, A. et al. Neuron 47, 423–435 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Lestienne, R. Prog. Neurobiol. 65, 545–591 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Deweese, M.R. & Zador, A.M. J. Neurophysiol. 92, 1840–1855 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Pinto, D.J., Hartings, J.A., Brumberg, J.C. & Simons, D.J. Cereb. Cortex 13, 33–44 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank E. Ahissar, I. Nelken, E. Schneidman and O. Barak for their comments on the manuscript, and all the members of the Lampl lab for their helpful contribution to this work. This work was supported by grants from the Israel Science Foundation (1037/03, 326/07), the National Institute for Psychobiology in Israel, the Henry S. and Anne Reich Research Fund for Mental Health, the Asher and Jeanette Alhadeff Research Award and the Sir Charles Clore fellowship.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel

    Michael Okun & Ilan Lampl

Authors
  1. Michael Okun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ilan Lampl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ilan Lampl.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Text and Figures

Supplementary Figures 1–8, Methods and Results (PDF 1720 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Okun, M., Lampl, I. Instantaneous correlation of excitation and inhibition during ongoing and sensory-evoked activities. Nat Neurosci 11, 535–537 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2105

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2105

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing