Fast network oscillations in the hippocampus Phenomena, mechanisms and open questions at the interface of cellular and systemic neurosciences

• Published in: Neuroforum Vol. 4; no. 1; pp. 1 - 10
• Main Authors: Maier, N., Draguhn, A., Schmitz, D., Both, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Spektrum Akademischer Verlag 01-03-2013
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Life Sciences; Neurobiology; Neurochemistry; Neurology; Neurosciences; Review Article; Learning and memory; Cellular mechanisms; Ripples; Neuronal network oscillation; Hippocampus
• ISSN: 1868-856X; 1868-856X
• DOI: 10.1007/s13295-013-0038-0

Neuronal networks often express coherent oscillatory activity. These rhythms can provide a temporal reference for the activity of single neurons and allow the formation of spatiotemporal activity patterns with a defined phase relationship of action potentials. In a single brain nucleus, oscillations at different frequencies might be simultaneously generated, but isolated rhythms might also be characteristic for specific functional brain states. During the last two decades the mammalian hippocampus has become an important model system for the study of neuronal network oscillations. In this brain area, cellular mechanisms underlying neuronal synchronization have been described, but also models were developed to explain the contribution of oscillations in encoding, consolidation, and recall of memories. Neuronal rhythmic activities provide an important field of analysis bringing together cellular mechanisms and systemic functions of the brain. Here, we use a particularly fast type of neuronal oscillation, hippocampal “ripples”, as an example to outline current knowledge and open questions related with this research field.