Discharge properties of neurons recorded in the parvalbumin-positive (PV1) nucleus of the rat lateral hypothalamus

Lintas, Alessandra

doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2014.04.023

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Journal article

Discharge properties of neurons recorded in the parvalbumin-positive (PV1) nucleus of the rat lateral hypothalamus

Lintas, Alessandra Department of Medicine/Unit of Anatomy, University of Fribourg, Switzerland - Neuroheuristic Research Group, HEC Lausanne, University of Lausanne, Switzerland

13.06.2014

Published in:

Neuroscience Letters. - 2014, vol. 571, p. 29–33

English This study reports for the first time the extracellular activity recorded, in anesthetized rats, from cells located in an identified cluster of parvalbumin (PV)-positive neurons of the lateral hypothalamus forming the PV1-nucleus. Random-like firing characterized the majority (21/30) of the cells, termed regular cells, with a median firing rate of 1.7 spikes/s, Fano factor equal to 1, and evenly distributed along the rostro-caudal axis. Four cells exhibiting an oscillatory activity in the range 1.6–2.1 Hz were observed only in the posterior part of the PV1-nucleus. The asynchronous activity of PV1 neurons is likely to produce a “network-driven” effect on their main target within the periaqueductal gray matter. The hypothesis is raised that background random-like firing of PV1-nucleus is associated with functional network activity likely to contribute dynamic information related to condition transitions of awareness and non-conscious perception.

Faculty

Faculté des sciences et de médecine

Department

Département de Médecine

Language