Neural and hemodynamic responses elicited by forelimb- and photo-stimulation in channelrhodopsin-2 mice: insights into the hemodynamic point spread function

Hemodynamic responses are commonly used to map brain activity; however, their spatial limits have remained unclear because of the lack of a well-defined and malleable spatial stimulus. To examine the properties of neural activity and hemodynamic responses, multiunit activity, local field potential, cerebral blood volume (CBV)-sensitive optical imaging, and laser Doppler flowmetry were measured from the somatosensory cortex of transgenic mice expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 in cortex Layer 5 pyramidal neurons. The magnitude and extent of neural and hemodynamic responses were modulated using different photo-stimulation parameters and compared with those induced by somatosensory stimulation. Photo-stimulation-evoked spiking activity across cortical layers was similar to forelimb stimulation, although their activity originated in different layers. Hemodynamic responses induced by forelimb- and photo-stimulation were similar in magnitude and shape, although the former were slightly larger in amplitude and wider in extent. Altogether, the neurovascular relationship differed between these 2 stimulation pathways, but photo-stimulation-evoked changes in neural and hemodynamic activities were linearly correlated. Hemodynamic point spread functions were estimated from the photo-stimulation data and its full-width at half-maximum ranged between 103 and 175 µm. Therefore, submillimeter functional structures separated by a few hundred micrometers may be resolved using hemodynamic methods, such as optical imaging and functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Slow-Wave Activity in the S1HL Cortex Is Contributed by Different Layer-Specific Field Potential Sources during Development

Spontaneous correlated activity in cortical columns is critical for postnatal circuit refinement. We used spatial discrimination techniques to explore the late maturation of synaptic pathways through the laminar distribution of the field potential (FP) generators underlying spontaneous and evoked activities of the S1HL cortex in juvenile (P14-P16) and adult anesthetized rats. Juveniles exhibit an intermittent FP pattern resembling Up/Down states in adults, but with much reduced power and different laminar distribution. Whereas FPs in active periods are dominated by a layer VI generator in juveniles, in adults a developing multipart generator takes over, displaying current sinks in middle layers (III-V). The blockade of excitatory transmission in upper and middle layers of adults recovered the juvenile-like FP profiles. In addition to the layer VI generator, a gamma-specific generator in supragranular layers was the same in both age groups. While searching for dynamical coupling among generators in juveniles we found significant cross-correlation in ∼one-half of the tested pairs, whereas excessive coherence hindered their efficient separation in adults. Also, potentials evoked by tactile and electrical stimuli showed different short-latency dipoles between the two age groups, and the juveniles lacked the characteristic long latency UP state currents in middle layers. In addition, the mean firing rate of neurons was lower in juveniles. Thus, cortical FPs originate from different intra-columnar segments as they become active postnatally. We suggest that although some cortical segments are active early postnatally, a functional sensory-motor control relies on a delayed maturation and network integration of synaptic connections in middle layers.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Early postnatal activity in the rodent cortex is mostly endogenous, whereas it becomes driven by peripheral input at later stages. The precise schedule for the maturation of synaptic pathways is largely unknown. We explored this in the somatosensory hindlimb cortex at an age when animals begin to use their limbs by uncovering the laminar distribution of the field potential generators underlying the dominant delta waves in juveniles and adults. Our results suggest that field potentials are mostly generated by a pathway in deep layers, whereas other pathways mature later in middle layers and take over in adults. We suggest that a functional sensory-motor control relies on a delayed maturation and network integration of synaptic connections in middle layers.