Long-range projections coordinate distributed brain-wide neural activity with a specific spatiotemporal profile

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1616361113
• Publication Date: 2016-12-06T03:40:25Z
• Authors: Alex T. L. Leong; Russell W. Chan; Patrick P. Gao; Ying-Shing Chan; Kevin K. Tsia; Wing-Ho Yung; Ed X. Wu
• Keywords: Brain mapping; Neural Activity; Human brain

One challenge in contemporary neuroscience is to achieve an integrated understanding of the large-scale brain-wide interactions, particularly spatiotemporal patterns neural activity that give rise functions and behavior. At present, little known about properties long-range neuronal networks. We examined elicited by stimulating ventral posteromedial (VPM) thalamo-cortical excitatory neurons through combined optogenetic stimulation functional MRI (fMRI). detected robust optogenetically evoked fMRI activation bilaterally primary visual, somatosensory, auditory cortices at low (1 Hz) but not high frequencies (5-40 Hz). Subsequent electrophysiological recordings indicated interactions over long temporal windows across thalamo-cortical, cortico-cortical, interhemispheric callosal projections frequencies. further observed enhanced visually during after VPM superior colliculus, indicating visual processing was subcortically modulated low-frequency originating from VPM. Stimulating complex also blood-oxygenation-level-dependent activation, although with a distinct profile. Our results directly demonstrate governs large-scale, connectivity coordinate integration remote brain regions. This phenomenon contributes basis as measured resting-state fMRI.